Cloud- and Edge-based ERP systems for Industrial Internet of Things and Smart Factory

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a collection of collaborative software programs. It handles transactions through enterprise-wide business processes using shared databases, standard methodologies, and data exchange across and within functional domains. Setting up an enterprise system is a complex activity and a costly and dangerous investment. Further, ERP system potentially affects core business and supporting processes, especially in complex and cyber-physical domains such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Smart Factory. Cloud ERP (C-ERP) and Edge ERP (E-ERP) are alternatives to traditional, centralised and monolithic ERP implementation for incorporating the benefits of Cloud and Edge Computing. Their main benefits include ease of use, resource balancing, bandwidth, cost-saving, and higher privacy/security. This paper discusses the benefits and limitations of using C-ERP and E- ERP in IIoT and Smart Factory domains, along with future directions in the ERP era of demand.