Using Enterprise Resource Planning Software for School Processes

Running head: MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEM 1
Using Enterprise Resource Planning Software for School Processes
PALLVI PALLVI
Wintec – Waikato Institute of Technology
Wintec Student email
ABSTRACT
Today, organizations are obligated to develop an integrated information system to minimize
cost given the current prevailing scarcity of resources. Though the information systems,
organizations can shorten delivery time of their services, improve quality of products and
increase quality of products and services. Through enterprise resource planning, companies
are able to unleash their potential through integrating the management processes and the
business. In this study, a framework-based polices for managing ERP and a rationale for
establishing the framework-based policies in the school where I am the IT manage is
discussed. ERP requires maintenance regularly and upgrade based on time vendors set for a
given ERP version. When properly manipulated and upgraded, ERP makes companies
realize success in their operations in form of improved service delivery, decreased time
wastage, increased efficiency, and improved employee and customer satisfaction. ERP is
therefore an integral part of today’s organization.
Keywords:
ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
COBIT: Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies
1. Introduction
A good management in an organization can be achieved through provision of relevant
and sufficient information (Bradley, 2008). The aim of information technology in a business
is to increase productivity of a business. Management information system (MIS) is an
information management system that organizations use to organize, coordinate, visualize,
control, and make decisions. Therefore, management information system entails the
examination of technology and people in any given organization (Mahmud, Ramayah &
Kurnia, 2017). The sole aim of management information system is to increase the

MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEM 2
profitability of an organization through increased customer satisfaction, employee
satisfaction, and high levels of service delivery. According to Babaei, Gholami & Altafi
(2015), different organizations use different management information system technology to
meet their specific objectives based on their defined organizational structure and culture. In
this case, I will use Enterprise resource planning (ERP) to integrate specific organizational
functions like marketing, finance, production, human resource management, and marketing.
ERP is a computer assisted business management that a whole business in an MIS platform.
ERP system play a critical role in an organization where it increases management
effectiveness, through the provision of a planning and monitoring process that organizations
require. As an IT manager, I will establish pertinent framework-based policies for managing
IT function in the organization of my scenario, as I can clearly demonstrate the rational of
establishing them.
2. Introduction to School Scenario
I am the manager of IT department of School where I provide various services like
arrangement of smart classes, online fee payment system, keeping records of students profile,
keeping records of staff, academic performances, keeping records of books in Library, online
attendance, managed Computer Labs and also provide online activities to the students. My
department’s aim is to make planning, organizing and managing things via the use of
computers in school easier. The IT department of the School will integrate all functionalities
of the school into a single software frame. Therefore, I will use ERP to achieve this goal in
the school an in the long run increase productivity and service delivery of the rest of the
departments in the school. ERP implementation has been considered for the school purpose
as it has capability to create and store data in large databases. It will allow allocating
resources within the school in an appropriate manner. Moreover, a single integrated system
will allow possibility to analyse overall resources and system functioning in an easy manner.
2.1 Framework-based policies for the management of Enterprise Resource Planning
In the recent past, large organizations and corporation have continuously been shifting
their business application software from manual system to installing and licensing large
commercial software like ERP. The current organisation will include IT operations and
software development on COBIT based framework. The COBIT framework will provide
support for reaching professional outcomes. The Control Objectives for Information and

MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEM 3
Related Technologies (COBIT) is created by the international professional association
ISACA for Information Technology and IT Governance. The COBIT framework to be
included in the school system to have sets of policies such as It Governance as per the AS
8015 which includes Australian Standard for Corporate Governance of Information and
Communication Technology. It will also include value creation (Val IT) and risk
management (Risk IT) procedures. However, for organizations to achieve the best results out
of ERP, a good framework-based policies need to be put in place to. The framework based
policies comprises of maintenance and upgrade of the ERP systems. Maintenance activities
of ERP system originate from the organization that uses ERP and the vendor (Das & Dayal,
2016). Organization-based maintenance involves requests for bug fixing, enhancement,
helpdesk, and ongoing system support. On the other hand, vendor based maintenance
comprises of a support package or that contains corrections and further adjustment that result
from legal changes data dictionary enhancement, and correction of minor errors for the
installed version. Also, upgrade version of the software contains new functionality and
substantial enhancements.
2.1.1 Maintenance
ERP plays a core role in the improvement of business operations in organizations and
therefore need thorough maintenance to ensure that its functionality is optimal and the
intended function of the software is achieved (Kretser, Ogden, Colombi & Hartman, 2016).
In this case, the ERP vendor will provide main types of the ERP maintenance activities which
comprise of legal change patches (LPCs) and support package for installed versions and
provide new versions of ERP system when upgrading is needed. The vendor will be
supplying the support package and new version upgrades and the school will implement the
systems through the IT department headed by the IT manager with or without assistance from
consultants sourced externally in order to enhance existing functionality, fix bug, and add
new functions to the installed system.
There exists a difference between LCPs or support packages with the upgraded
versions of ERP. LCPs have less impact on the installed ERP code while new upgrades
overwrite the initially installed versions. Also, LCPs are frequently introduced unlike new
upgrades which take some time. Moreover, LCPs are mandatory while new upgrade is not
mandatory as long as the initial version supports the schools activities (Mahmud et al., 2017).
Besides, new versions are expensive and complex to install while LCP only require minimal
adjustment. Lastly, new upgrades will provide new functionality to the system. It is also