People: Where ERP systems and supply chain management converge

PETER CUNNINGHAM, NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA
Just when many employees breathed a sigh of relief at the successful implementation of their electronic human resource system, pressure for further integration of the value chain looms on the horizon. For HR, the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has been accompanied by the instituting of comprehensive change management strategies to ensure a maximum return on investment (RoI). With increasing pressure to integrate vertically and horizontally both at an intra- and inter-organisational level, a focus on people rather than just the technology in business realignment is emerging as key to optimise change. The paper considers the changing role of Human Resources (HR), and the integration of electronic -HR and supply chain management (SCM). In reviewing the theory of HR, and SCM it is concluded, that the success of SCM revolves around employees interfaced with the right technology. Despite advances in business systems technology, an enterprise’s competitive advantage relates to the human relationships involved, rather than the structure of the technological processes of the supply-chain or the policies and procedures informing HR.
Keywords: Electronic Human Resource Management; Supply Chain Management; Human Relationships; Sustainable Development.