International ERP Teaching Case: Design and Experiences

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are among the most widely used large-scale information systems. Industry and students in IT-related subjects expect that ERP training is part of the studies during university education. However, traditional teaching materials use somewhat simplified multi-role and cross-organizational processes which do not fully reflect reality in enterprises, for example with respect to role-based permissions or coordination challenges in international organizations. This paper reports on an attempt to extend the SAP ERP GBI case study towards an international dimension. For this purpose an international ERP case study was developed which is presented in the paper with its didactical approach, the technical way how to implement the case study in SAP, and the teaching environment. The work is a joint effort by University of Rostock and Riga Technical University which has a focus on enhancing introductory ERP training for study programs in information technology and business informatics. One of the key features of the international ERP case study is that students of both universities work collaboratively on running business processes in the SAP ERP system. Evaluations suggest that the students appreciate the case study as suitable means to get an insight in real-life challenges connected to ERP use in an international context.