Introduction Architecture of ERP System
The Prospects of ERP Systems on Quality of Education and Research in Higher Education and Research Institutions of
Pakistan
Najia Saher
1
, Dost Muhammad Khan
2
, Faisal Shahzad
3
, Nawaz Mohamudally
4 1
Lecturer, Department of Computer Science IT, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, PAKISTAN
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science IT, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, PAKISTAN PhD Student, School of Innovative Technologies Engineering, University of Technology Mauritius UTM, MAURITIUS
3
Lecturer, Department of Computer Science IT, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, PAKISTAN
4
Associate Professor, Consultancy Technology Transfer Centre, Manager, University of Technology, MAURITIUS
Abstract It has been challenging for the educational and research
institutions like universities and colleges to succeed in their core missions. The universities are facing the reduction in funds from
traditional sources which has trimmed their revenues. The competition for private funding including grants, endowments
and alumni donations is growing. The escalating student populations are creating physical space and service challenges.
The Government regulations create pressure on the institutions to operate with a high degree of transparency, which intensifies the
need to report, document and track financial, demographic, and educational information. These myriad of challenges can be
addressed by better utilizing the current technology. The higher education and research institutions should be powered with IT
that aligns with their requirements, supports for change and improve in the human resource management system. The
institutions need to operate more efficiently and integrate processes, from business services to academic affairs and student
care, while collaborating externally with government agencies and other service providers. The most of the teaching institutions
in Pakistan are still using fragmented, nonintegrated and disjointed business systems, which are resultantly inefficient,
outdated, and expensive. These systems are not helpful at all in decision making. The implementation of ERP system is,
therefore, the best solution to envelop these bottlenecks. This paper is a case study which shows the effects of using ERP
systems as an innovative learning and networked curriculum in a public sector university of Pakistan. This case study aims at
emphasizing the importance of data integration and migration explaining in detail the architecture of ERP. The Campus
Management Solution CMS is the name given to the ERP implementation in The Islamia University of Bahawalpur,
Pakistan IUB. This case study thoroughly examines the core concepts of implementing ERP along with its consequences.
Keywords:
ERP, SAP, Client-Server architecture, HEC, IUB