ERP Reference Architecture

For embedding artificial intelligence into ERP software, knowing the underlying architecture is necessary. However, the solution architecture of ERP varies according to the various vendors. In order to address this issue, we abstract from the various ERP products and propose a reference architecture. Thus, we can systematically incorporate our suggested artificial intelligence concepts into the ERP reference architecture and guarantee their validity independent of the underlying ERP vendor. But how to obtain the reference architecture? To resolve this challenge, we reuse the reference processes from the previous chapter to derive the common reference architecture and define the software modules research and development, sales, supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, service, asset management, finance, and human capital management. As a side result, the reference architecture can also be used to evaluate the architecture of different ERP products.