This article focuses on the implementation of
enterprise resource planning (ERP) into business education. The demand of
trained enterprise resource planning professionals has motivated a number of
universities to join alliances with ERP software vendors such as SAP. Students
are required to obtain hands-on experience with the technical tools that serve
to administer and analyze these processes within the enterprise. To achieve the
goal of integrated curriculum through ERP an incremental approach was taken in
order to gain requisite skills with the ERP system while developing new
coursework. To reach goal of integrated curriculum oriented education through
ERP, faculty must develop coursework on core business processes, rather than
along functional areas. An ERP vendor may selectively choose university
partners to be application service providers who will develop, support and
provide system and associated coursework to other university partners who will
buy Internet-based access. This capability will open the opportunity for
universities with limited resources to become users of ERP services in the
classroom, avoiding the expense of purchasing hardware, supporting the system,
and gaining the required expertise. INSET: SAP Resources.