What are the points to be kept in mind in framing a curriculum for ERP education?

ERP education is a crucial issue. The curriculum should be framed with the help of experts and professionals in the industry. The inputs should be a proper mix and match of theory and practice. Lots of importance is given to ERP education in the curriculum. The idea is to benefit all the stakeholders. ERP vendors and companies will not have to train the fresher. Similarly those completing the course will have better chance of employment .In addition Universities and institutes will be able to attract more students. Besides they can offer academic and technical expertise through to corporate houses.

Some of the important elements in ERP education are as follows:

This article has been written keeping in mind the two main factors namely beneficiaries (whether professionals or students) and those imparting the education (universities or other academic bodies like training institutes).

Design in terms of using the software

The curriculum should revolve around one basic point namely the ability to convert the ERP learning into usage. This point occupies more significance in the case of executive and professional categories and others willing to take carriers in ERP (both managerial and technical cadres. Even in the case of research or in-depth academic coverage the student should be given some inputs on using the software. This will also apply for persons who are in the managing cadre.

Otherwise the same drawbacks seen in ERP training will also apply in this issue. Many companies have had nightmares with ERP training because they believed it to be a mere instructional program. Similarly if the students are not groomed on the usability aspects the purpose of this ERP learning will not be served.

The main objective in stressing this fact is that they will be able to understand and solve operational inconveniences and ground difficulties if they practice during the ERP learning sessions. On the other hand learning them by way of books and then trying to apply the knowledge in practice is unlikely to workout as far as ERP is concerned because of the numerous complexities involved. Private institutes and those run by ERP giants will have to deliver the maximum in this aspect because they would have access to all applications. When it comes to colleges and universities this will be a limiting factor. They can however be neglected keeping the academic purpose in mind.

Other ingredients

ERP curriculum needs to be framed by considering many internal and external factors. In the case of Executive programs catering to people from diverse industries it will be proper to discuss about maximum/prominent applications available in the market. However if the audience are going to be merely students few prominent applications can alone be explained. In addition general guidelines have to be given for both categories. Similarly the ERP curriculum should be designed in mind keeping the factors like time allocated (both theory and Lab), the competency level of participants and the associated facts.

The execution of the program

This issue needs to occupy foremost significance. If the delivery is not proper or as planned it defeats the purpose .In addition the efforts taken to maintain other parameters will also go waste. This step will also ensure that the money invested guarantees the return (like the ROI on ERP!!).This step involves the cooperation of the two parties namely instructors and listeners.

A program can be said to be a successful one if the participants are able to make use of the ERP software efficiently (in the case of practical training).This can be achieved if the y are made to use the software everyday (or at regular intervals) and clarify their doubts). The person should reach confidence levels when it comes to handling the software. For the other category (academicians) the understanding and knowledge of ERP should be better.

Integrating with management subjects

This is an important issue. ERP is a technical subject which requires persons with management background . Persons with multiple skills are bound to manage this better.ERP curriculum should have adequate exposure to management issues. If one were to go by the names it will be evident that they ERP are discussed in terms of Warehouse management and supply chain management and the like. Therefore an ERP education will not be productive if it involves only the technical or managerial aspects. It should be a combination of both.

Measuring the Impact

No process is fool proof unless it is measured and proper suggestive measures are implemented. Similarly the results of an ERP education should be subject to rigorous checks. When it comes to practical courses the employability of the candidates and the success of the employed candidates can be kept in mind to asses the worth. When it comes to theoretical components the understanding of the students can be measured in terms of grades and results of empirical research.

Conclusion

ERP education is important both in theoretical and practical aspects. The curriculum should be framed properly and in tune with the market standards. In addition it should be subject to constant revision and industry interface as ERP is not merely meant for academic purposes.

A brief account of the Online and distance mode course in ERP
The popular ERP institutes and the courses offered by them
What the futre holds for ERP in terms of jobs? What are the institutes offering courses and training programs in ERP?

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