BUSI 615 Integrated Learning Project: Building ERP Models for Manufacturing Efficiency

Creating a step-by-step ERP system model for selected manufacturing companies in BUSI 615 equips students with hands-on skills in integrating production planning tools to boost operational and financial outcomes.

Integrated Learning Project Assignment Instructions

Overview

The integrated learning assignment is a series of 6 assignments and a final course consolidated submission. This project allows learners to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios in enterprise resource planning. All assignments and the compilation of the final consolidated submission is managed as an individual assignment.

Purpose

The purpose of the ILP is for everyone to develop a working model of an ERP system applied to a firm of their choosing. Participants gain insights into how these systems streamline operations across various departments. This model will be built up in modular format through weekly assignments culminating in the submission of the completed model in the final week of the course together with a management proposal detailing the costs and benefits as they apply to the income statement and balance sheet of the selected firm.

Resources

The development of the assignments will be supported not only by written instructions but also with an explanatory Watch item. Access to real-world examples through videos can further illustrate complex concepts in ERP implementation.

Expectations

Each component, from Module 3: Week 3 will be the development of an ERP module in Excel relevant to the topic for that week. The Excel development will follow SAP and other ERP systems formats. Recent advancements in cloud-based ERP solutions can enhance the flexibility of these modules.
The Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing:

Details on how this ERP assignment could be implemented (assignment management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (min 300 words)
Details on how ERP could be operated (management process, who should be responsible, numbers of different users of each module, data accuracy, etc.) within the chosen firm (min 300 words)
What could be the future sources of inaccuracy in the data contained the ERP system (min 300 words)
How the corruption of the data could be prevented (min 300 words)
An analysis and composition of the net benefit (benefits minus costs linked to income statement and balance sheet) of the implemented ERP system

The final integrated Excel ERP working model for your chosen firm, due at the end of week 8, will tie all the preceding modules together into a fully integrated working ERP model in Excel. The integrated modules will include, Master Production Schedule, Bill of Materials, Materials Requirements Planning, Capacity Planning, Distribution Requirements Planning and Shop Floor Control. Integrating AI-driven analytics into these models can predict potential disruptions more accurately.

The Excel file will be submitted simultaneous with the following written report. The final course report would be about 3,000 words (excluding references and appendices), much of which would have been accumulated over the preceding 6 weeks.

The final submission will also include a written management report detailing (1) a recommendation for implementation based on a cost / benefits analysis (2) implementation assignment plan with responsibilities, (3) a justified recommendation for an ERP system (e.g. SAP, or other) and its operation (local or cloud processing, scope of application (national, global, etc.)

Instructions

Part 1 – Company selection – Characteristics – Manufacturing – Publicly available financial accounts – consumer or industrial product (either make to order or make to stock) – examples Tesla / Boeing (search YouTube “Mega factories” and choose one of these documentary examples to appreciate the level of manufacturing detail required). Structure your assignment as follows (word counts are minimums): Selecting a firm with transparent financial data ensures accurate modeling of ERP impacts.

Title page
Company description (300 words)
Financial trends: Overview of inventory types/trends/productivity (trends in day’s stock by type, Etc.) (300 words)
Income statements (last 3 years) (300 words)
Balance sheet (last 3 years) (300 words)
Opportunities for logistics to improve income statement (consider revenues and operating costs) and balance sheet asset productivity. Provide quantitative calculations and probable range of costs / benefits. (300 words)

Part 2 – Master Production Scheduling (MPS) – Develop an Excel based Master Production Schedule for your chosen product. Use the format and logic as shown in the illustrative Excel spread sheet to be found under Course Content. Also review the Kaptur presentation for this week, as well as pages 281 through 303 in your Logistics textbook. Your MPS Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing: Modern tools like predictive demand forecasting can refine the accuracy of these schedules.

Details on how this module could be implemented (assignment management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
Details on how this module could be operated (management process, key factors in the MPS policy, who should be responsible and why, the users of this modules data, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
What could be the future sources of inaccuracy in the data contained in the module (300 words)
A comparison of any 2 MPS schedule formats and logic taken from http://www.softwareadvice.com/erp/?more=true#more or other MPS types from your own research of available MPS software (300 words)

Part 3 – Enterprise Resource Planning – Develop an Excel analysis of the modules and functionality of 3 ERP systems, one of which must be SAP and the other 2 are of your choice. Follow the “ERP Links” tab under the Readings section of Course content for a listing of over 100 ERP software systems, including SAP. Overlay the functionality of these ERP systems onto the main manufacturing processes of your selected firm and determine which software best fits your chosen company. Your Excel analysis will accompany your written assignment which will contain: Emerging trends in ERP include integration with IoT for real-time data tracking.

Description of the how the software selection criteria (and which ones) were chosen for your company (300)
An analysis and tabulation of the strengths and weaknesses of the main modules of each software solution when compared of your selection criteria (300)
A discussion of any ancillary data capture equipment and other software that may be advantageous to the operation of the ERP system in your company (300)
Consideration of which functional areas would be responsible for the operation of each of the major ERP modules (300)
An analysis of the possible software costs of your recommended ERP software (300)

Part 4 – Materials Requirements Planning – Develop an Excel based Materials Requirements Plan for your chosen product. Use the format and logic as shown in the illustrative Excel spread sheet to be found under Course Content. Show at least 4 MRP levels with sub-assemblies, purchased components, manufactured components, and raw materials. Review the Kaptur presentation for this week, as well as pages 233 through 305 in your Logistics textbook. Your MRP Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing: Sustainable sourcing practices are increasingly incorporated into MRP to meet environmental standards.

Details on how this module could be implemented (assignment management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
Details on how this module could be operated (management process, key factors in the MRP operating policy, who should be responsible and why, the users of this modules data, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
What could be the future sources of inaccuracy in the data contained in the module (300 words)
A comparison of any 2 MRP schedule formats and logic taken from http://www.softwareadvice.com/erp/?more=true#more or other MRP types from your own research of available MRP software (300 words)

Part 5 – Distribution Requirements Planning – Develop an Excel based Distribution Requirements Plan for your chosen product. Use the format and logic as shown in the illustrative Excel spread sheet to be found under Course Content. Show at least 4 distribution warehouses with 4 components planned for each with at least 1 common to all distribution warehouses. Review the Kaltura presentation for this week, as well as pages 319 through 406 in your Logistics textbook. Your DRP Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing: Global supply chain disruptions highlight the need for resilient DRP strategies.

Details on how this module could be implemented (assignment management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
Details on how this module could be operated (management process, key factors in the DRP operating policy, who should be responsible and why, the users of this modules data, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
What could be the future sources of inaccuracy in the data contained in the module (300 words)
A comparison of any 2 DRP schedule formats and logic taken from http://www.softwareadvice.com/erp/?more=true#more or other DRP types from your own research of available MRP software (300 words)

Part 6 – Capacity Requirements Planning – Develop an Excel based Capacity Requirements Plan for your chosen product. Use the format and logic as shown in the Integrated Learning Project Example found on . Review the Kaptur presentation for this week, as well as pages 439 through 478 in your Logistics textbook. Your CRP Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing: Advanced simulation software can optimize capacity planning for fluctuating demands.

Details on how this module could be implemented (assignment management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
Details on how this module could be operated (management process, key factors in the CRP operating policy, who should be responsible and why, the users of this modules data, etc.) within the chosen firm (300 words)
What could be the future sources of inaccuracy in the data contained in the module (300 words)
A comparison of any 2 CRP schedule formats and logic taken from ERP Software or other CRP types from your own research of available CRP software (300 words)

Part 7 – Assignment Plan – Develop a time phased assignment plan for the implementation of an ERP system at your selected firm. Review the assigned Learn material, as well as pages 511 through 551 in your Logistics textbook. Your time phased assignment plan Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing: Stakeholder buy-in is crucial for smooth transitions during implementation phases.

Overall structure of the ERP implementation plan detailing responsibilities and timing (300 words)
Details on the Education and Training activities of the plan, their sequencing and timing (300 words)
Details on the key activities in the Bills of Materials sub-assignment to achieve a company document with 98% accuracy (300 words)
Details on the key activities in the Warehouse sub-assignment to achieve a minimum of 95% accuracy (300 words)
Details on the key activities in the Master Production Schedule sub-assignment to achieve a 98% customer service accuracy (300 words)

Part 8 – Final Submission – The final integrated Excel ERP working model for your chosen firm, due at the end of week 8, will tie all the preceding modules together into a fully integrated working ERP model in Excel. The integrated modules will include, Master Production Schedule, Bill of Materials, Materials Requirements Planning, Capacity Planning, Distribution Requirements Planning and Shop Floor Control. The Excel file will be submitted simultaneous with the following written report. The final course report would be about 3,000 words (excluding references and appendices), much of which would have been accumulated over the preceding 6 weeks. Comprehensive testing ensures the model’s reliability before full deployment.

The final submission will also include a written management report detailing (1) a recommendation for implementation based on a cost / benefits analysis (2) implementation assignment plan with responsibilities, (3) a justified recommendation for an ERP system (e.g. SAP, or other) and its operation (local or cloud processing, scope of application (national, global, etc.)

Sample Answer Study Bay

Selecting Tesla as the manufacturing firm reveals how ERP modules integrate electric vehicle production processes from battery assembly to final delivery. The Master Production Schedule outlines quarterly targets for Model 3 units, factoring in demand forecasts and supplier lead times. Materials Requirements Planning breaks down components like lithium-ion cells and aluminum frames across four levels to minimize inventory costs. Capacity Requirements Planning assesses factory workloads in Fremont and Shanghai to ensure output meets projections without overburdening resources. Distribution Requirements Planning coordinates shipments to four key warehouses in North America and Europe, sharing common parts like tires for efficiency. Shop Floor Control monitors real-time assembly line metrics to adjust for any delays. Research indicates that effective ERP implementation can boost operational efficiency by up to 20% in manufacturing settings (Domagała, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114937).

What strategies help in successful ERP implementation for manufacturing companies? Case studies from firms like Boeing show that involving cross-functional teams early reduces resistance and improves data accuracy, as per insights from the International Journal of Production Economics. Data from SAP implementations reveal a 15-25% reduction in inventory holding costs post-adoption, supported by industry reports from Gartner. Aligning ERP with supply chain flexibility, as analyzed in Edith Cowan University research, drives sustained business performance gains.

Construct an ERP system model through weekly Excel developments and analyses, ending with a comprehensive submission recommending implementation strategies.

References/Learning Materials

Uddin, M. A. et al. (2020) A study of the adoption and implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP): Identification of moderators and mediator. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 6(1), p. 2. DOI: 10.3390/joitmc6010002. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2199853122002554 (Accessed: 26 February 2026).
Domagała, A. (2021) Post-implementation ERP software development: Upgrade or reimplementation. Applied Sciences, 11(11), p. 4937. DOI: 10.3390/app11114937. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/4937 (Accessed: 26 February 2026).
Butarbutar, Z. T. (2023) Systematic literature review of critical success factors on enterprise resource planning post implementation. Cogent Business & Management, 10(3), p. 2264001. DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2023.2264001. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311975.2023.2264001 (Accessed: 26 February 2026).
Harianto, K. J. (2024) The effect of digital ERP implementation, supply chain integration and supply chain flexibility on business performance. Edith Cowan University. Available at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5408&context=ecuworks2022-2026 (Accessed: 26 February 2026).
Abu Madi, A. (2024) Spotting the critical success factors of enterprise resource planning implementation in the context of public higher education sector. International Journal of Public Administration, 47(2), pp. 73-89. DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2022.2085300. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01900692.2022.2085300 (Accessed: 26 February 2026).