Chapter 10 Advanced Technology ERP Boltons Middleware Security

Chapter 10 Advanced Technology & ERP Bolt-ons Middleware Security

Technology & ERP Manetti [2001] • Mobile commerce & other IT makes ERP extensions possible, attractive – Broader use of web-enabled systems – Greater AI-driven applications – Greater use of ERP in mid-sized manufacturing – Flexible modular systems – More bolt-ons (3 rd party applications) • Creates security issue

Conflict: ERP & Open Systems • Original concept of ERP closed – Easy to control access • Openness creates security issues – But there are too many good things to do with open systems – ERP vendors also provide such products

Example Bolt-Ons Mabert et al. [2000] Bolt-On Example Vendor Demand planning Demand Planner BAAN E-procurement Ariba Network Ariba, Inc. Business to business MANAGE: Mfg Cincom Integrated suites Manugistics 6 Manugistics Order tracking Intelliprise American Software Factory plan/schedule Capacity Planning JDEdwards On-line collaboration Aspen On. Line Aspen Technology Warehouse mgmt CSW Warehouse Management System Cambar Data mining Enterprise Miner SAS Institute

Middleware • ERP interfaces to external applications difficult to program • Middleware is an enabling engine to allow such external applications eto ERP – Data oriented products – Messaging-oriented - shared data sources - direct data sharing

Web ERP • J. D. Edwards One. World • SAP my. SAP. com • Trends – More web links – More functionality

Middleware & Data Acquisition • Bar-code data collection • Radio frequency data collection • Web portals

Portals of Major ERP Vendors Stein & Davis [1999]; Stein [1999] Vendor Portal Function BAAN i. BAAN Application integration J. D. Edwards Activ. Era Portal Interface to ERP, e-mail, spreadsheets, Internet Oracle 11 i Connect to business intelligence People. Soft Business Network Tie applications to online communities SAP my. SAP-Employee workplace Travel reservation, online procurement SAP my. SAP. com Center for SAP users Lawson Insight II Seaport Files, data warehouse, e-mail, Internet

Other Vendor Portals Stein & Davis [1999] Type Vendor Function Business intelligence Cognos Access data warehouses, data mining Information Advantage SAS Institute Documentation management Documentatum Manage text Other Glyphica Integrate ERP data with applications Plumtree Software Viador

ERP Security Threats Type of Security Physical Threat Theft, damage, copying Unauthorized access Natural disasters or accident Social Network Tricks to gain information Telephone taps Dial-up entry Internet hacking Viruses

Summary • ERP security originally was not problematic – Only few internal users could access • Open systems driven by external applications – Creates security issues – Web access especially problematic • Special ERP Security aspects – Data quality – Control over data access