Assessment 3 – Solve Problem

/in /by

Assessment 3 – Solve Problem

 

Submission: Online – Group (4 students in each group, minimum 3)

Weighting: 40%

Word length: 3000 words (+10%, from Introduction to Recommendations and Conclusion)

Due date: Monday, 8 Feb 2021 at 11.45 p.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

Return to students: As per the University’s policy, Grades for this assessment will not be released until the certification date.

Task description:

In this assessment you are going to apply theories to solve problems. You should study, research, analyse and prepare a report responding to the specified tasks in solving problems at a case study situation. It includes practical research on the current marketplace for potential ERPs and vendors.

For this assessment, you will write a report in which you discuss the selection of an ERP and vendor for the organisation William’s Hardware Stores (WHS). You should:

  • Understand the business requirements and challenges.
  • Explore the marketplace for potential ERPs.
  • Identify as many potential ERPs and vendors (at least 5) as possible.
  • Narrow your list of potential ERPs down to three including SAGE and Odoo.
  • Evaluate ERP systems (Click here to download a sample evaluation criteria) and select one, and
  • Provide rationale for your choice.

Your report should include information about the following (For each ERP):

  • Vendors’ financial position, philosophy, support issues, hardware & software infrastructure, direction and currency of software, release strategies and the involvement of users in upgrades and resource development resources.
  • ERP modules.
  • ERP architecture and its implications, e.g., for scalability. You should also provide a diagram of the ERP architecture and an insightful analysis of implications of ERP architectures in the context of the organisation.
  • Perform a fit/gap analysis by matching the given organisation’s requirements to features or modules of the ERP.  Discuss the implications of the differences between the ERP’s business processes and the To-Be business processes you identified in your previous assessment.  Identify any missing functionality in the context of your organisation.
  • Identify ERP evaluation criteria for your organisation (Your evaluation criteria should include both functional and technical evaluation), and then evaluate the ERPs using your criteria.
  • Select an ERP and provide justification.

Remember that there is no right answer or recommendation. Successful arguments can be made for many options. Your task is to present a persuasive and argumentative piece of writing in report form.  From your research and discussions in the report, you are expected to draw and justify your own conclusions.

For this assessment, you are required to use academic literature to support and illustrate your report.  Your audience are non-technical.  However, you can assume your readers are intelligent people who understand business arguments. It is up to you to explain and justify why the chosen ERP system is suitable.  You will be assessed on your ability to persuade the reader, so it is essential that you develop factual and logical arguments in your recommendation justifications.

Hints:

Your report should include the following:

  • Title page
  • Executive summary
  • Table of contents
  • Introduction
  • Discussion (use suitable headings and sub-headings)
  • Recommendations and  Conclusion
  • References

You must use trade and academic literature to inform and support your report.  A minimum of 10 references (sources published 2012 or later) are required, at least 5 of which must be from academic sources (journal, conference or edited book chapter papers).

What you should submit:

You are required to submit your report as a Microsoft Word document.