Article at a glance:

A second wind for ERP

Inspired by a vision of hugely improved efficiency, in the 1990s most large industrial companies installed enterprise resource-planning systems: massive computer applications that let them manage their operations from a single integrated data set. For many such companies, the installation was a nightmare, but the hard-won expertise they acquired along the way will help them tweak their ERP apps in ways that can add significant value.

The take-away

The vision was no fantasy, but in hindsight it seems that much of the value of ERP lies in the foundation it creates for future growth based on newer technologies such as e-commerce and CRM.