Expert: Jean-Pierre Zuate - 3/11/2005

Question
My company is a manufacturing company and currently is running the computer system which is known as ERP (enterprise resource planning). Since I dont have knowledge regarding the computer science, so I just write what I know. I think that is the data based system, so, I think all the information that we key-in in different modules will be stored in the data base.Currently I face some problems which look like unlogically. For excample, when operator A proceeded job 115, he keyed-in his particulars like employee number, job number, quantity, and check in time. When he finished the job, he checked out the job. So we will know the operator A use how long to finish the job. So, when I viewed the employees daily job report, I found that the report shows the operator B proceeded the job 115 instead of operator A. If I believe operator A didnt keyed in wrong infomation, that means something wrong of the computer system. My question is can the computer system going wrong unlogically? So many similar cases reported, like the quantity is wrong (keyed in 100 pcs, report shows 110 pcs), operator C proceeded job 120, report shows he proceeded job 130...  

Answer
Hello David,

An ERP is an application (collection of programs) that store data in a database (Ingres, Oracle, FoxPro, and so on). Databases are products too, but their use is more for computer scientist (since you look like an end user).

It is what you said about differents modules from your ERP store data in the same database.

Computer science is not extactly an exact science (I don't know how those words sound in english but in French that what we said). In clear, I mean it is very possible that operators (your end users) do the right thing and then the computer system go wrong. And in your case "computer system" mean :
- the ERP it self
- the database
- the system (machine) where each run (perhaps they have differents machines)
- the network
- how the ERP, database and operating system work, how are they maintained
- and more perhaps

When something go wrong with computer it always seems to be unlogical. The other way they go wrong is when they did not work (I mean did not start).

To end my answer, I think the reply you are looking for is more with your ERP developpers than others. And about the ERP your company have, some questions you might ask before going on :
- did your company by the ERP or did she develop it ?
- if they develop it, contact your general infrastructure service
- if they buy it, contact the ERP vendor hotline.

Hope this help,
Jean-Pierre