A BUSINESS APPROACH TO ERP WEB BASED DEVELOPMENT: EXPERIENCE FROM AN INDUSTRIAL PROJECT Roberto Paiano, Nicola Fiore Engineering Innovation Department, University of Salento Via Per Arnesano – 73100, Lecce, Italy Tel +390832297296 Fax. +390832297279 ABSTRACT Significant effort is currently invested in Web Application design, particularly in the study of integrating methodologies for designing business processes and Web Applications. However, academia still needs to be further exposed to real world project experiences and best practice where existing conceptual tools are tentatively exploited, and where useful tools can emerge. This paper introduces the overall architecture implemented and recounts the experience and lessons learned integrating the Business Process Modeling Notation (OMG BPMN) whit a methodological approach for the development of an ERP web-based system for a medium-sized enterprise within the wheat mill industry of South East Italy. KEYWORDS ERP, BPMN, Web Application, Model-Driven Development. 1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT BACKGROUND The methodologies for designing business processes and web applications are increasingly available in the research arena. Academia needs to be further exposed to best practices and real world project experiences from the business sector where existing conceptual tools are tentatively but actually exploited, and where useful tools can emerge. This paper recounts the experience and the lessons learned combining, concretely and in-depth, the Business Process Modeling Notation (OMG BPMN) with a methodological approach (and the related tools) in order to develop a web-based ERP system for a SME that works on the mill transformation in South East Italy. In Summer 2004 Evolvit srl, a software engineering company in Lecce, performed a needs-analysis of the leading ERP software packages for this SME. The packages analyzed included SAP R/3 (SAP Solutions), PeopleSoft (Oracle Solutions) and Oracle Applications (Oracle Solutions). However, Evolvit srl was surprised that these packages did not meet the specific needs of the SME. The trials of customizing these software packages in order to meet the needs of the company seemed valid in both the analysis and design phases, but they failed when the company tried to use them in the real world. There is one main reasons for the lack of meeting the mill company needs: the software customization was intended to meet the needs of the particular sector. Yet, in not specifically meeting those needs, it showed itself too weak and far from the world in which the company works. Moreover, even if the software is able to meet the macro-needs, it does not allow for any effective modifications for the specific characteristics of the company (which are typical of the sector). The goal of the SME company was to create a new business distribution model for the mill sector, because mills in Italy are currently in a stall phase that has eroded the profits from the finished products. The desired model was characterized by a greater flexibility to turn the product to better account not only with improved quality but also supplying additional services (like the possibility for the customers to plan the delivery). IADIS International Conference WWW/Internet 2008 461