Integration of Enterprise Resource Planning System Based on SOAP

While the enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems become more and more complex, the traditional tools such as DCOM, CORBA or EJB encounter more difficulties than before especially when heterogenous and distributed environment and multiple companies are involved. The newly born international specification SOAP brings a new solution to ERP because of its simplicity and high extensibility. This paper analyses the techniques to extend basic SOAP to implement ERP system. The techniques, including data envelope, dynamically and loosely coupled remote process calling (RPC), support to the multiple communication protocol, and security and performance improvement, greatly enhance the ability of basic SOAP and make it capable to accomplish the integration task in large scale ERP systems. All the techniques we discusse here are successfully utilized in the ERP system in the Three Gorge Cascade Dispatch Center of China Three Gorge Project Corporation.

Shipbuilding—An Analysis from the Perspective of Enterprise Resources Planning System

Designed as a tool for business intelligence, resource planning is used to manage the essentials of a business by integrating processes into a single system. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions ensure all the organizational, operational, and procedural structures interconnection, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, knowing that inefficiency within one structure will lead to inefficiency in others. The originality of the approach consists in the unitary analysis of all processes which shipbuilding involves (design;evaluation of ship construction possibilities;contracting of works;contracting of supply of materials and equipment;presentation of inspections for the completed works reception;delivery of the ship into operation). The systemic approach is a notable contribution by highlighting the input and output quantities for the analyzed processes. Also, where it was found relevant, the diagrams highlight the owners of the process and show the interconnectivity of the functional departments within a shipyard. Although it is obviously the expression of in-depth knowledge of the peculiarities of Romanian shipyards, the authors hope that the work can support any shipyard that may be interested in knowing these structures (as a logical scheme mandatory to design a custom ERP software system).

Soft Computing Based Procurement Planning of Time-variable Demand in Manufacturing Systems

Procurement planning with discrete time varying demand is an important problem in Enterprise Resource Planning （ERP）. It can be described using the non-analytic mathematical programming model proposed in this paper. To solve the model we propose to use a fuzzy decision embedded genetic algorithm. The algorithm adopts an order strategy selection to simplify the original real optimization problem into binary ones. Then, a fuzzy decision quantification method is used to quantify experience from planning experts. Thus, decision rules can easily be embedded in the computation of genetic operations. This approach is applied to purchase planning problem in a practical machine tool works, where satisfactory results have been achieved.

A Study on the Architecture of Flexible ERP Based on Multi-Agent Technology

Traditional ERP software system cannot efficiently su pport new management ideas such as BPR, DEM and virtual enterprise which emphasi zes that enterprise should be adjusted to market changes and business process ch ain and value chain should be integrated tightly. To solve these problems, this paper proposed the conception of Flexible ERP system. F-ERP is a self- adapti ve software system based on multi-agent technology. It developed the followin g kind of agents which are useful for F-ERP: business process agent, interf ace agent, data agent and decision and analysis agent. The F-ERP software syste m is an hierarchy system which is composed of data layer, system tools layer, bu siness application layer and business decision layer. It used component based de velopment mythology and complied with CORBA to development F-ERP. The F-ERP sy stem can support the new management ideas such as BPR, DEM and virtual enterpris e etc. By implementation of it, enterprise can improve its management and promot e its competence.

The Investigation of Jordanian Education Ministry Employees’ Attitude toward the Using of Cloud ERP

ERP systems have become an optimal solution for companies to perform their works with maximum advantages of Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP). Moreover, even though the cloud computing has many obstacles which need to be solved, but the enterprises always embrace the cloud. Many enterprises tend to adopt the cloud computing paradigm in order to get its leverage in successful and benefits. With the development of cloud computing technology, there is a growing orientation to move the ERP from inside boundaries of organizations into the cloud computing technologies. In addition, there were many studies that covered the cloud ERP without concentrating on acceptance the end user for this technology. Thus, this study comes to increase the understanding the attitude of the end user for cloud ERP technology. The main aim of this study is to investigate the employees’ attitude towards use of cloud ERP. The conceptual research framework of cloud ERP is prepared based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). The employees of Queen Rania Center (QRC) in Jordanian Education Ministry used the cloud ERP system which implemented according to this study. The questionnaires are distributed online to the sample. The results indicate that the QRC employees enjoyed using the cloud ERP system.

Solid Warehouse Material Management System Based on ERP and Bar Code Technology

This paper presents a manufacturing mat er ial management system based on ERP, which is combined with industrial bar code i nformation collection and material management, and carries out extensive researc h on the system structure and function model, as well as a detailed application scheme.

A framework for ICT-enabled real-time production planning and control

This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for real-time production planning and control（PPC）.Firstly,we discuss the most prominently applied contemporary information and communication technologies for PPC.Enterprise resource planning（ERP） systems that integrate the value chain in an enterprise,manufacturing execution systems that manage and control the production on shopfloor,and advanced planning and scheduling（APS）systems that develop solutions for complex planning problems are the planning and control systems that have been analyzed.We emphasize the application of radio frequency identification as the most advanced and promising emerging real-time data capture technology that is currently available to manufacturers.Having analyzed the features and shortcomings of the individual systems perse,and by considering the advantages that may be realized through effective integration of these otherwise discrete systems,we propose a framework for real-time PPC.

Impact of ERP Investment on Company Performance: Evidence from Manufacturing Firms in China

Information Technology （IT） investments, especially Enterprise Resource Planning （ERP） systems, are critical for the survival and development of companies. Therefore, understanding the impact of ERP in- vestment is of great importance to managers and researchers. As a corporate performance indicator, Tobin＇s Q has some inherent advantages compared to other accounting indicators, and it can better reflect the con- tribution of ERP investment to company performance. This study employs multiple regression models to examine the impact of ERP investment on Tobin＇s Q. The sample consists of 126 manufacturing companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 1999 to 2007. Empirical results show that in the first three years after ERP implementation, there is no significant change in Tobin＇s Q; however, in the fourth year, Tobin＇s Q increases significantly. The results indicate that, as a strategic long-term investment accompanied by large-scale business process reengineering and organizational learning, ERP implementa- tion has time-lagged effects; nonetheless, it eventually produces significant benefits.

Informization Implementation for Chinese Retailers

Retailing is an important component of every country’s economic system. The current status and developments in the informization of Chinese retail industry were investigated by using questionnaires and interviews to survey 139 retailers throughout China. The investigation shows that Chinese retailers are in the initial informization stage, and can be classified into different types with corresponding informization characteristics. In addition, the survey identified the key problems faced by retailers in the initial stage. Developments in the information technology field were analyzed to identify the key technologies that Chinese retailers should focus on during the informization process. The investigation also shows that the retailers have not arrived at a consensus about information technology adoption, and thus hesitate to use new information technologies, such as the radio frequency identification.

A hesitant fuzzy linguistic terms set-based AHP-TOPSIS approach to evaluate ERP software packages

Purpose–In this paper,two popular multiple-criteria decision-making(MCDM)methods with hesitant fuzzy logic approach;hesitant fuzzy analytic hierarchy process(hesitant F-AHP)and hesitant fuzzy the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(HF-TOPSIS)are integrated as HF-AHP-TOPSIS to evaluating a set of enterprise resource planning(ERP)alternatives and rank them by weight to reach to the ultimate one that satisfies the needs and expectations of a company.Design/methodology/approach–Selecting the best ERP software package among the rising number of the options in market has been a critical problem for most companies for a long time because of the reason that an improper ERP software package might lead to many issues(i.e.time loss,increased costs and a loss of market share).On the other hand,finding the best ERP alternative is a comprehensive MCDM problem in the presence of a set of alternatives and several potentially competing quantitative and qualitative criteria.Findings–In this integrated approach,the hesitant F-AHP is used to determine the criteria weights,as the hesitant F-TOPSIS is utilized to rank ERP package alternatives.The proposed approach was also validated in a numerical example that has five ERP package alternatives and 12 criteria by three decision-makers in order to show its applicability to potential readers and practitioners.Research limitations/implications–If the number of the alternatives and criteria are dramatically increased beyond reasonable numbers,the reaching to final solution will be so difficult because of the great deal of fuzzy based calculations.Therefore,the number of criteria and alternatives should be at reasonable numbers.Practical implications–The proposed approach was also validated in a illustrated example with the five ERP package options and 12 criteria by the three decision-makers in order to show its applicability to potential readers and practitioners.Originality/value–Furthermore,in literature,to the best of our knowledge,the authors did not come cross any work that integrates the HF-AHP with the HF-TOPSIS for ERP software package selection problem.