A Twelve-Step, Multiple Course Approach to Teaching Enterprise Resource Planning

The importance of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and an educational approach toward teaching ERP skills are the subjects of this article. The approach taken is to develop a comprehensive ERP multi-course training program using success factors both in practical installations and successful course activities. A thorough review of the literature and the author's initial experiences are combined to form a twelve step program that incorporates best practices of industry and education. The program is also compared to one of the more widely recognized frameworks in ERP systems education, the KnowDules of Watson and Schneider (1999) and is shown to incorporate all their factors as well as extending their model to include additional elements. The inclusion of all twelve steps in a three course sequence in Penn State University Information Sciences and Technology degree program is discussed. Within these courses, a strong emphasis on business function fundamentals, processes, and management is emphasized. The experiences of the author in two cycles of the sequence as well as selected activities within the courses are discussed.