Sharpen your skills
Career Today, management programmes are integrating ERP training into their courses. Ramesh Behl offers details.
Education leaders and industry experts have been debating how to close the gap between education providers and industry expectations for years now. In order to meet the demands and expectations of employers, institutions are integrating more technical methodologies in their management curriculum. These methodologies enable students to have real-time experience of business processes in industries and help them in understanding business processes better and adapting to their systems more efficiently.
Today, most sectors are technology driven and hence, many management programmes are seeing the merits in integrating sophisticated tools like Enterprise Resource Planning, (ERP), into their management courses. These tools provide internal and external management information across an organisation, embracing finance and accounting, manufacturing, sales and service and customer relationship management, among others. With most businesses operating with ERP solutions like SAP, Microsoft Dynamic, Tally ERP, and Oracle and so on, many colleges have started integrating ERP platforms in their curriculum to make students industry-ready.
In a large organisation there are many different systems, including planning, manufacturing, distribution, human resource, operations and accounting. Enterprise Resource Planning is an application that integrates all of these functions into a single platform/system, designed to serve the needs of each different department within the enterprise. ERP is more of a methodology than a piece of software, although it integrates several software applications and data, brought together under a single unified interface.
There are a number of students who aim to make a career in ERP but are unable to get a break since there are not many universities that offer academic programmes in ERP. This is in spite of the fact that there is a growing demand for trained manpower with positions waiting to be taken, in various companies across the globe. Which is why aspirants turn to training programmes offered by leading ERP providers on modules which, more often than not, are very expensive with the cost of a course ranging between Rs 1.5 lakhs and Rs 3 lakhs.
In the late 1990s, there was a shortage of workers with ERP-related skills. As organisations worked to implement these complex systems, university business schools became increasingly interested in incorporating ERP education into school curriculum. With the growing demand for ERP skills and the growing dominance of technology in industry, it only seemed fitting that business schools adjust to changing needs.
ERP vendors were also encouraged by academia’s interest in ERP curriculum, as they felt that academic theory and ERP practice would further the development of their products. To this end, in 1996 SAP created their Academic Alliance Program to promote the use of ERPs within universities. Today, ERP curriculum has been widely adopted in academia for over a decade.
ERP courses aid professionals to improve their skills to obtain a higher position or designation in a company. This course certification helps one land highly reputed jobs. To complete this course and obtain the certification, one has to pass tests. One also has to pass the application-level certification, developmental level certification and technology certification.
One can obtain a better job opportunity or a promotion after completing an ERP course. Salary also increases sizably with a better position.
ERP system implementations are used by many organisations worldwide. Modules like Finance, Sales, Accounting, Human Resource, Production, etc. are covered in detail. One can undergo online training, through books or with e-books. Training provides a better understanding of the system.
With most large enterprises across sectors being supported by global ERP applications like SAP, Oracle, People Soft, JD Edwards and others, the growing midsize sector — already competing in the global market and being influenced by their larger partners — are realising the benefits an enterprise-solution can bring to it.
Every businessman realises that his/her enterprise relies upon resources and that planning is essential to optimise acquisition, allotment and use of such means. And most believe that over the next few years, it will be difficult to operate in a global market and tap into new opportunities globally if a company is not running its business enabled by an ERP solution.
ERP training is offered on various business modules, as follows:
*Financial Management
*Purchasing Management
*Distribution Management
*Inventory Management
*Sales/Order Management
*Discrete Manufacturing
*Process Manufacturing
*Asset Management
*Customer Relationship Management
*Business Intelligence
*Human Resource Management and others
Career opportunities
One could work as an ERP Consultant, Consultant — Sales and Channel Marketing, an ERP Application Administrator, ERP/Financial Services IT Process Specialist, a Technical Transportation Analyst, ERP Implementation Analyst, or an ERP Sales Professional.
(The author is Professor and IT Area Chairperson at International Management Institute, New Delhi)
