On ERP Architecture

On ERP Architecture


In our computer industry, the implementation of the architecture is quite a lot, in the large-scale enterprise Application architecture model, the method has object-oriented services, in the description of the means of UML, there are design patterns on the micro. But there should also be architectural approaches and architectural models in the area of facets, such as ERP. I personally have been engaged in the medical industry and the automotive industry in this two areas of information work, these two industries are mature and rigorous business abroad, automobile manufacturing represents the modern industry, medical representative of life. In the medical information industry has the HL7 standard, in the automobile information industry has the automobile message bus can standard. I met HL7, OK, for each role each process each entity has detailed data and interface description, such information is how authentic, complete ah. If each profession has the informationization standard, then the informationization can have the evidence to follow. Only by making rules can revolution and leadership be made.


ERP software is used for enterprise management, so it should be the software and enterprises have a certain degree of mapping.


ERP software has architecture, that shows that the enterprise must have an architecture, or how the two sides map. Architecture is the meaning of a frame, which describes the outline of a thing as a sketch before sketching.


So on the ERP architecture, we have to talk about the enterprise architecture, and the ERP architecture is more a functional application architecture. ERP architecture is often composed of three parts, part of the structure of the business function module, the main concern is the relationship between modules, the second component is the basic Business function module architecture, such as organizational structure, permissions, master data, login \ Portal; The third component is the pure technology platform architecture, with various engines and class libraries.


ERP, in essence, focuses on the process of collaboration, as well as in the process of input, processing, flow changes, output display data.


The process of collaboration, broadly divided into two categories, one is the process of each link in each position of the approval of the control. Management, is not only the key link and key products, but also the exception of management exceptions, emergency treatment after the formation of rules. Another kind of process collaboration is multi-post multi-departmental multi-organizational collaboration, which often through the state conditions to control, such as date, amount, status, type. You take the business daily business processing link you draw out you look, a lot of if. Else, this is the branch condition. So in ERP a lot of such business switch parameters, status fields. Because these state types are often changed by multiple links, we generally record their changes in the log, and the characteristics of the data in different states, as well as in advance to express and be patrolled.


Therefore, we need to express the interface in terms of the structure of the business function module, the level of technology implementation, the business function module cutting and the analysis of the relationship between modules. We also have to focus on the architecture of these two types of process collaboration and the relationship between the two types of processes. This is the application architecture.


and data. Enterprises in the process of sustainable business, in the use of ERP process, there will be a large number of documents, reports, these are data. Facets specialize in studying the relationship between data, data characteristics, and the control of data change processing, which is also a framework. Since we have a database architect, it is not only in the database product level of technical force (and the large number of databases used are also commercial products), more emphasis on the data architecture level to think more design.


Therefore, from the overall perspective, the ERP architecture should be divided into:


1. Business model level: Enterprise Architecture


2. Functional model Level: Functional module Architecture, approval process architecture, business status Collaboration process architecture


3, Implementation level: Basic business Platform Architecture (such as organization, permissions, master data), platform architecture, data architecture


The business model architecture and the functional model architecture should have a mapping relationship, which can be mapped from the real business to the ERP software. So I'm just putting it into research. How to describe the completeness of the enterprise architecture, and secondly, how to map the enterprise architecture to the software application architecture.


Although the industry has a lot of EA (Enterprise Architecture) approach, the most popular is TOGAF, but it is mainly about from business to software to technology to implementation to the operation of the whole life cycle, but in every aspect is not specific, especially the enterprise business architecture This aspect, may be TOGAF when the enterprise managers participate in less, It is regrettable that there has been no explicit architectural model.


So, there is no way, put down TOGAF, I saw a lot of enterprise management and the recent Hundred years Management evolution of the book, I hope to find the Enterprise architecture model.


Read to read and feel like this should describe the enterprise architecture (of course, whether these blocks and layers are required and can be mapped to ERP software, not necessarily, may not be needed now):


1. Spiritual Level: vision, social responsibility, corporate culture, employee relations, partnership
2, the company level: the Board of Directors, corporate governance structure, equity listing and financing
3. Strategic level: Evergreen, strategy, competitive strategy, blue Ocean Strategy, leadership, change and innovation
4, Management level: organization, manager function \ Organization echelon construction, plan \ Cooperation Organization \ Promotion \ Control, staff communication \ Encouragement \ Assessment
5, Business level: Budget, finance, production, product quality, supply chain, warehousing, logistics, marketing, customer, human, brand ...


At the micro level there are process grooming, action decomposition, process improvement, which is a combination of business processes and professional technology. In particular, modern enterprises are more integrated into the realization of automation and the docking of information, more than two experts in the field of large-scale construction of a unified model.


Philosophical understanding, enterprises need to manage it. Is the Enterprise Manager, or the enterprise service person. If the strategic goal is clear, the Organization Division of labor with clear responsibilities, each post professional, the examination is clear, the action plan is clear, whether the Enterprise Manager can be weakened as a service, rather than the leading manager.


But, the reality is a dynamic change. So we need to constantly adjust to the changes in internal and external anomalies, or the team will follow the established plans and methods to go. This requires control. In addition, the reality is not satisfactory, a plan to implement in place, a person's consciousness, ability, quantity, Echelon, teamwork, communication, time-point fit, financial resources and material resources are in place from the quality and quantity, so many coordination links and coordination points, as a car of the various parts to cooperate with the same seamless, That's a hard thing to do. And the car can run, because the car is all physical parts, and business operations, most people, people will certainly have all the exceptions. A bad mood can affect a lot of things. So we still need control.


Based on my personal dynasties, there is no clear method from how to map the Enterprise architecture to the ERP software application architecture, and there is no clear way to deconstruct the ERP software application architecture and data architecture. This is what we need to move up and down. There may also be methods and standards that have long been available, such as SAP, such as the practice of such as the ISO School of theory. But I am struggling to trace the information of these two major factions, and I have nothing to do with the limitations.


With like-minded people, let's talk about the debate.