Why ERP? A Primer on SAP Implementation (Paperback)

~ (Author), David Clay Whybark (Author), D. Clay Whybark (Author), (Author) "The car radio was on his favorite station as Billy Armbruster pulled out of his driveway and headed off to Ruth's Cafe..." (more)
Key Phrases: process flow diagrams, client code, computer guy, North Carolina, Mary Lou, Ruth's Café (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Why ERP? is not a traditional textbook designed for a specified course, it is patterned after the wildly successful short novel "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt. "The Goal" is currently required reading in many undergraduate, MBA, and executive courses. Like "The Goal," "Why ERP?" is a short novel about a manager in a furniture manufacturing business who is charged with learning about and implementing a new ERP system-particularly SAP R/3. The story tells of his experience learning about it, his considering other installations as examples, and then his deciding the key issues and how to proceed. Incorporated into the story is a concise introduction to the basic concepts and architecture of ERP systems, including actual screen shots of R/3 modules. Though this is NOT a programming book, it is a quick read overview, and it can be assigned even for ‘systems' majors, as a background reading to lay-out the managerial issues and build a basic understanding of the concepts-prior to doing actual technical programming or hands-on R/3 projects. Through the eyes of the hero in the novel, the reader is presented with all the related implementation and business issues. Intended to provide a non-technical, non-programming introduction, this book can stand alone as a quick read or self-study introduction for any manager or business student. The text is also great for schools who do NOT have any SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, or other ERP system on campus, and who have no access to online or hands-on samples or examples. This book can provide the needed literacy and awareness of what ERP is and why it matters.

About the Author

F. Robert Jacobs is currently department chairman at Indiana University. He has a Ph.D from Ohio State and is past Vice President of the Decision Sciences Institute, Information Technology Coordinator for Decision Sciences Institute for 1997, as well as Associate Editor on the board of the Journal of Operations Management. David Clay Whybark (Chapel Hill, NC) is on the faculty of the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 1 edition (January 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072400897
• ISBN-13: 978-0072400892
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #536,776 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written, poorly edited, very light on content, March 12, 2000

By A Customer

I was excited to find this book, an introduction to ERP in one slim volume.

Unfortunately, the authors do not use their pages well. The book meanders (even more than one might expect from a "novel"), the writing includes a definite Southeastern U.S. regional tone, and the editing is very poor (I spotted a number of grammatical errors and several instances where a sentence had been cut in editing and not repaired).

Overall, this is a sloppy piece of work. One might expect better from a major publisher, but...

I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Common Sense Look at ERP, May 9, 2000

By	Lori Duncan (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews

What steps an organization needs to consider and take before moving into an ERP environment is given so simply in this book. Jacobs and Whybark present the facts in such a way that anyone in an organization understands that ERP is not a magical cure for their ills. Yes, this book is written very much like "The Goal," yet one knows this from the start. Where is it written that such a book must be full of theories, processes and analogies that makes it boring and undigestable. I applaud Jacobs and Whybark for giving the business world an easy to understand and follow guideline for ERP.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful introductory tutorial disguised as a novel, March 1, 2000

By	Alex Stewart (Lubbock, TX) - See all my reviews

This book is presented as the ERP version of "The Goal", and it is true that it takes the form of a novel. However, it is not clear that the weakly developed fictional elements add or detract from the message. The case study, however, is useful, and overall this is a palatable way to get an introduction to the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning. Like most writing on ERP, it focuses on one software product, in this case, SAP R/3. However, it is not a disguised advertisement and should be useful for managers contemplating adopting any such system in their companies.