The Future of ERP and Enterprise Resource Management Systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integrate into one single system the control and accounting of all the enterprise resources. Just like the previous systems (material requirements planning and accounting information systems among others) became ERPs, it is highly probable that ERPs will keep evolving towards a different and more comprehensive system. Logically, this evolution will be driven by the unsatisfied expectations of the current markets. One of these expectations is to lower the emphasis on the midand long-term planning functionality in favor of some kind of short-term, more dynamic planning functionality. In this sense, the chapter glimpses at a system that could be called ERM, where the “M” stands for management instead of the “P” for planning. The chapter also discusses the potential effects of the Open Source Initiative on ERPs. Other outstanding expectations examined are: (1) lower cost and duration of the implementation process, (2) less dependency on external consultants for the implementation, and (3) improved and standardized interaction functionality—or middleware—between different ERPs.