Trends in ERP Software and Justification for Development of Open Source Systems for Small-scale Businesses

Abstract

This article comprises two sub–areas: first, the trend in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software development based on the review of literature; and second, it has been observed that, particularly for the small-scale sector, there is a dire necessity for open source ERP systems. The small-scale sector is growing at rapid rate and becoming a vital element in manufacturing as well as economy in any country. This article reviews the research works in published literature on the functional impact of ERP software development for the small-scale businesses from January 2002 to April 2012. A total of 68 articles from 38 journals are reviewed, where this present work exploits particularly the conventional practices in open source software modelling. This work attempts to serve two major goals. First, it will be useful for the researchers interested in determining the research questions in the area of functional impact of ERP software development for small-scale businesses. Second, it serves as a comprehensive reference on the subject till date providing useful information for ERP developers.