A Conceptual View of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems as Services

Abstract

This paper brings forward a conceptual view, based on practical experiences from designing information systems as services. Viewing information systems (IS) as services is beneficial but still an unexplored approach in organizations. The aim of this exercise is to contribute to the knowledge base of IS designers and modelers. In the paper, we present an analysis of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs) systems through a conceptual lens of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). This paper contributes to the debate on viewing ISs as services by presenting a view of SOA-architected ERPs as facilitating to fulfill business needs. This paper is influenced by systems and design thinking, and service oriented IS design. Based on shared promises between SOA and ERP we discuss the question whether SOA or ERP fulfills business needs? The analysis of ERPs from a SOA perspective provides us with the conclusion that the question is not about SOA or ERP but rather to provide SOA architected ERPs. It can be said that by viewing ERPs as services it is clear that the combination of ERPs and SOA could be seen as one way forward when designing ISs that aims at bridging gaps between IS and business e.g., processes and, allowing the business to fuse with IS forming servitized SOA based ERPs.