Improve SME management software

Along with three other prestigious European academic institutions -Copenhagen Business School, Oxford University / Said Business School and the University of Copenhagen- ESADE will take part in a Microsoft-sponsored study aimed at finding solutions for installing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) computer systems in SMEs. ERP is an integral company management system designed to computerise the majority of companies’ internal management processes (financial, commercial, logistics and production, etc.). Its aim is to simplify company resources planning.

The study, which will make it possible to develop the third generation of ERP solutions, is sponsored by Microsoft Business Solutions and the Danish High Technology Fund, contributing 2.3 and 1.7 million euros, respectively. This project, which will analyse the needs and differences between the SMEs in ten countries round the world (Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, United States, Brazil, Russia, Japan, India and China), is intended to assist Microsoft and other ERP promoters in developing the next generation of management solutions. These will be easier to implement and, as a result, more widely-accepted by small and medium-sized companies. At present, the global ERP market is dominated by Oracle and SAP.

The aim of the project is to create software to meet the needs of small and medium-sized companies, given that at present, implementation costs often represent more than 70% of the overall cost of the larger ERP systems. According to Microsoft, modifying the ERP systems to adapt them to different cultures’ processes and local clients often represents an excessive outlay for SMEs.

Six researchers from the three academic institutions will take part in the “3gERP” project. ESADE’s Professor Jonathan Wareham, who holds a PhD in Information Systems from Copenhagen Business School, will be among these researchers. His research activities are focused on the convergence between Information Technology and economics and strategy. His work has been published in various specialist magazines including: Telecommunications Policy; IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management; IEEE Computer, Information and Organization; The Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, amongst others.

Fonte: ESADE