Impact of Erp Systems on Process Innovation - with a Special Focus on Mass Customization

1. Introduction

In the past ten years, a large number of national and international organizations have started to standardize and integrate their processes in one system to manage their key resources more effectively by implementing ERP systems. The integration of business functions and the ready availability of all types of necessary and unnecessary information have paved new ways for the customer approach. ERP systems are part of a generation of information systems which have changed the traditional mass-marketing approach. Add-on modules such as CRM (Customer Relationship Management) enable the collection of detailed information about individuals and the use of this information to tailor products and services to the individual needs of customers. First mentioned by Davis (1987) and consequently elaborated by Pine II (1993) the concept of mass customization emerged. It is characterized by the ability to provide customized products or services through flexible processes in high volumes and at reasonably low costs

When ERP was introduced it enabled organizations