What Marketing Students Need to Know about Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Marketing students in business schools are aware of the accelerating use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in major companies. Software use by sales and marketing professionals has predominately been applications such as sales force automation, customer service management, and customer relationship management. Often, these applications are integrated with ERP systems, connecting directly with internal business processes. The effectiveness of internal processes affects the capabilities of marketers to know and serve their customers. Marketing students need to be cognizant of these business processes to understand their potential impact on successful marketing and sales efforts. This manuscript defines ERP systems, describes why marketing students need exposure to ERP, as well as suggesting marketing courses appropriate for ERP content and potential learning outcomes. It also describes an ERP University Alliance program and discusses the challenges and experiences of using an ERP system in the classroom.