 Chapter XVIII Enterprise Resource Systems Software Implementation Ganesh Vaidyanathan Indiana University, USA Copyright © 2009, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. AbstrAct Enterprise resource planning systems are complex yet single, integrated software programs that runs off a single database so that the various departments can easily share information and communicate with each other. The integrated approach can have a tremendous payback if companies implement the software correctly. This chapter illustrates the implementation steps as followed by major corporations in the United States, and provide an insight into the practical implementation issues. A business case for such systems is introduced in this chapter as well. The chapter provides seven ERP issues and elaborates these issues in the context of implementation. The implementation details during conceptualization, design, implementation, go-live, and operation stages are provided with a note to practitioners on ERP implementation. iNtrODUctiON Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software at- tempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments’ particular needs (Koch 2002). Each of those de- partments typically has its own computer system optimized for the particular way that the depart- ment does its work. But ERP combines them all together into a single, integrated software program that runs off a single database so that the various departments can more easily share information and communicate with each other. That integrated approach can have a tremendous payback if com- panies install the software correctly. Typically, when a customer places an order, that order begins a mostly paper-based journey from in-basket to in-basket around the company, often being keyed and re-keyed into different depart-