Use of tailored process models to support ERP end-users

Abstract

Modeling is essential for the success of any ERP project and early in the project a considerable amount of time and money is invested in designing and redesigning business processes. However, the models developed in this period, do not take the leap from the developers' desktops, and generally offers no support for the end-user while performing daily work. The construction of the user interface of an ERP system reflects the organizations functional areas, making the functional aspect predominant. The process aspect in a user's work is lost, and the user gets no conceptualization on how his contributions fit into the overall business processes. In this paper we suggest that tailored views of the process models developed early in the ERP project should be made available to the end-users while working with the ERP system. We show examples on models developed during an ERP implementation project at a Norwegian manufacturing company, and show how these can be tailored according to an end user's role, the current context and what instance she finds herself in.