Abstract:

The continued pressure to automate business processes has lead to the adoption of increasingly sophisticated computer-based tools. Fully integrated business enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been widely used in very large companies. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are also seeking the advantages of integrated business systems. Vendors of ERPs have recently reconfigured their systems in a form that targets SMEs. We describe the forecasting functionality of the SAP® All-In-One offering, along with the underlying forecasting methods it employs. Since there are nine major forecasting models employed in the All-in-One offering, we survey the literature in an attempt to identify which model might best meet the needs of the SME market. We conclude, from our review of the literature that SAP’s All-In-One demand forecasting functionality appears to be adequately grounded in previous theoretical and empirical research. Our conclusion regarding the adequacy of SAP’s All-In-One forecasting functionality is an important consideration for SMEs.