The integration of ERP into a logistics curriculum: applying a systems approach

Determinants of the management learning performance in ERP context

Management learning poses some challenges, firstly students should identify all administration areas and secondly, they should understand the big picture of an organizational context, by integrating all the studied areas. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are the backbone of any organization, in terms of information management systems integration. The usage of these systems is important in terms of management in any organization, and ERP's can facilitate the management learning process. The main objectives of this study are to understand if the ERP usage supports management learning, and to identify the main determinants of individual performance. This study presents a success model of ERP usage for learning management context. The model was validated empirically through a survey answered by university management students. The results show that system quality, process quality, and training play a determinant role in the students' performance.

Teaching supply chain and logistics management through commercial software

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and teaching of graduate courses providing in‐depth experiential learning employing commercial supply chain management software. The benefits of teaching such courses are described, the challenges in offering such courses are identified, and some solutions to overcome the challenges are offered.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiences of the authors in developing and teaching supply chain management courses utilizing commercial software provided a basis for discussing the benefits and challenges associated with teaching students the management of modern supply chains using commercial decision‐support software.

Findings

Incorporating commercial software in university programs presents a myriad of challenges and therefore is rarely done. However, providing students with in‐depth knowledge of commercial logistics and supply chain management software improves their understanding of supply chain issues and provides a key differentiator in the marketplace. Modeling real‐world supply chains using commercial software enhances student's education by providing relevant experiential exposure to real‐world problems and decision‐support tools.

Originality/value

The observations of the authors in developing and teaching courses in supply chain management utilizing commercial software afford a unique viewpoint and roadmap for others regarding teaching supply chain management in academic environments.

An Exploratory Study of the Key Skills for Entry-Level ERP Employees

This research identifies the key skills (e.g., business, team, communication) that industries expect for entry level positions involving enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Based on a review of the literature, a number of possible core skills that ERP entry level employees should possess are identified. To identify the relative importance of these specific skills, a web-based survey involving IT professionals from 105 organizations is conducted. Analyzing the findings using exploratory factor analysis and scale reliability analysis indicates four specific and significant factors representing the major key skills that industry expects from entry level ERP positions labeled for this study such as systems analysis and integration, team skills, project management, and business and application understanding. Various common technical skills (e.g., programming, networks) were found to be significantly less important than the business and team skills. This study should assist companies in developing criteria for evaluating potential candidates for entry level positions in ERP systems, as well as universities for evaluating the relevancy of their IT and Business programs.