The Value of ERP Curriculum Integration: Perspectives from the Research.

1. INTRODUCTION In the 1990s, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were a significant investment for many companies. Following this investment by industry were numerous efforts to incorporate ERP experiences into business education curricula. ERP integrations into curricula require a significant investment of resources. First, an investment in ERP software and hardware assets must be made to build the requisite assets on which to base coursework. Next, faculty must build the system skills necessary to be qualified instructors and to create coursework integrated with university level objectives (Becerra-Fernandez, Murphy, and Simon, 2000; McCann and Grey, 2009; Watson and Schneider, 1999). Next, information system personnel must be trained to administer, operate, and maintain the selected ERP system (Becerra-Fernandez, Murphy, and Simon, 2000; McCann and Grey, 2009; Watson and Schneider, 1999). Though some ERP vendors have aided the process through free software or hosting services, one study found the investment of funds and IT support staff was still too high for many institutions to attempt ERP integration into their curricula (Bradford, Vijayaraman and Chandra, 2003). In an attempt to perform a cost-benefit analysis for integrating an ERP system into the business college curriculum, we examine ERP research and literature to identify the benefits gained from integrating ERP system usage into business school curricula. Though many advantages and benefits of hands-on ERP experience are discussed, specific quantitative improvements as a result of the investment in ERP curricula are rarely documented (Grandzol and Ochs, 2010; Hawking, Ramp and Shackleton, 2001; Mandal and Flosi, 2012; McCann and Grey, 2009; O'Sullivan and Stewart, 2010; Watson and Schneider, 1999). Our research efforts sought evidence of increased business knowledge and understanding, increased student placement, or an increase in graduates' salaries after investment in the ERP-IC. In addition, we looked for benefits that accrued to the institutions creating the integrations such as increased credibility of the college or university among organizations that employ graduates, attraction of qualified faculty, and evidence that an ERP-IC across business disciplines creates a better, and more realistic learning environment. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Several drivers increased the presence of ERP systems in business organizations. The first driver was the need to integrate information from different functional areas of an organization into one system (Mandal and Saputro, 2008; Madapusi and D'Souza, 2012). A second driver was the move away from legacy systems prompted by Y2K incompatibilities (Mandal and Saputro, 2008). Also, the need to comply with the 2002 Sarbanes Oxley Act, which demands greater control and traceability of all transactions impacting financial statements, drove even more businesses to adopt ERP systems (Mandal and Saputro, 2008). Finally, research has shown that ERP investment improves an organization's performance (Madapusi and D'Souza, 2012). Most large and medium-sized organizations are utilizing ERP systems now to track and manage their business (Mandal and Flosi, 2012). In 2013, Forbes reported the global ERP market revenue had reached over $24 billion (Columbus, 2013). As ERP system usage grew, business schools believed their students should experience the ERP systems first hand. In part, that is because ERP systems create an increased emphasis on cross-functional business processes, decision making, cooperation and coordination within organizations that use the systems (Kanthawongs, Wongkaewpotong and Daneshgar, 2010; Bradford, Vijayaraman and Chandra, 2003; Boykin and Martz Jr., 2004; Mandal and Flosi, 2012; Fedorowicz, et al. 2004). In addition, a survey by Duplaga and Astani finds that "The number one problem for organizations of all sizes was lack of ERP training and education . …