ERP Reference Processes

Although ERP solutions have been around for years, there is no common definition of its functional scope. As a result, market analysts and ERP suppliers offer their own, highly subjective, interpretation of ERP functionality. However, to embed systematically artificial intelligence into ERP software, we must have a clear understanding of the ERP functionality. In this chapter, we propose a reference process that acts as a functional specification for ERP systems. The reference processes outline the functional richness of ERP software and conversely the complexity of embedding artificial intelligence into it but also emphasizes the high potential of applying artificial intelligence for improving those business processes. Furthermore, the reference processes build the foundation of the ERP reference architecture of the next chapter. The refence processes can as well be used to compare the functionality of different ERP products.