The Development of ERP in SMEs: An Innovative & Entrepreneurial Learning Approach

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are major economic players and provide clear opportunities for economic development both locally and nationally through entrepreneurship and innovation. They are demonstrating their entrepreneurship strength by grasping opportunities offer by electronic business (e-business). Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as an E-business technology is a strategic learning approach for SMEs to promote innovation performance and organizational entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to present the implementation of ERP at SMEs as an innovative and Entrepreneurial learning approach. First, the critical importance of SMEs in developing countries is presented, and then strategies and critical success factors of ERP system implementation at SMEs is mentioned. Finally, a conceptual model for successful implementing of ERP and promoting of innovative and entrepreneurial performance of SME is presented. The integration of various business operations and functions through the implementation of an ERP system is primarily to enable exploitation of future opportunities, better planning and reducing inventory and improving customer services.

Keywords:

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) , Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) , Innovative Performance , organizational entrepreneurship