Title: Organisation structure and enterprise modelling in ERP realisation

Authors: Wai-Hung Ip, Bocheng Chen

Addresses: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China

Abstract: In the paper, the authors investigate the organisation structure in an ERP system. Using SAP R/3 as an example, it identifies that the structure should be established following its functional needs. Each ERP function module should have its own organisation structure, and each function module should have its own power control structure, all of them being constituent with the ||virtual|| enterprise. Moreover, the authors propose the use of Enterprise Modelling to analyse the gap and map between enterprise organisation structure and the virtual enterprise in system design and implementation. Various examples of this modelling process using IDEF are given. Finally, we observe that Enterprise Modelling provides the essential tools and methods necessary for Business Process Reengineering and Continuous Improvement as well as for customising ERP software and avoiding the complete rebuilding of the whole enterprise structure. This provides the flexibility and scalability to change organisation structure only in the ||virtual|| elements.

Keywords: ERP; enterprise modelling; BPR; organisation structure; virtual enterprise.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2002.002544

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2002 Vol.1 No.2, pp.170-183

Published online: 23 Jul 2003 *

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