

○ student exposure to a market-leading ERP software may help with company knowledge transfer to other large-scale enterprise systems (e.g., an Oracle ERP implementation will share enterprise functions similar to those encountered in SAP) ○ the company demand for ERP knowledge is unmet in our region

○incoming entry-level hires need more exposure to large-scale enterprise systems and integrated data processes to on-board more successfully BACKGROUNDĪccounting firm representatives and corporate recruiters in our area indicated that: We conclude the paper with a reflective summary of lessons learned, our future plans, and the limitations of our approach of using ERP in accounting curriculum. We discuss preliminary outcomes from our approach. We then explain our specific uses of ERP experiences to address over-arching accounting learning themes. The next section details background about our university, college, and department that informed our curricular decisions and choice of ERP system. The remainder of this paper will discuss our approach and early reflections on selecting, adopting, and integrating an ERP system (i.e., SAP-ERP and related software) across our accounting curriculum. We use a qualitative case study method ( Yin 2013) so that other accounting departments can gain insights about ERP system integration from an accounting perspective.

Our research provides a rich exposition and discussion of SAP integration across an accounting curriculum that extends the earlier examination of SAP integration for AIS and MIS programs ( Etnyre and Lehmann 2015). This paper builds upon prior technology integration work by Etnyre and Lehmann (2015). The goal of this paper is to provide a descriptive example of an accounting department's approach to meeting the technology integration challenge outlined by the Technology Task Force of the 2015 Pathways Commission. The curriculum content standard of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) also stresses the importance of an integrated knowledge of business information technology capabilities and possibilities ( AACSB 2016). A key element of the 2015 Pathways Commission work was a finding by the Technology Task Force that “ accounting programs should integrate knowledge of current and emerging accounting and business information technologies throughout the curriculum” (2015, 9, emphasis added).
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The goal of such an integrated approach is to support the development of professional judgment for business decision-making over time, and through many progressive learning experiences, for the future accounting professional. Most recently, the Pathways Commission (2015) has argued for an interdependent approach to accounting education that includes technology, ethics, communication, and global components in concert with traditional accounting foundational knowledge. SAP® is the market leader in enterprise resource planning software, data analytics, cloud based solutions, database integration, and mobility management supporting organizations of all sizes and industries by developing innovations that help customers run at their best by generating new opportunities for innovation and growth.The accounting discipline has a long history of linking foundational accounting concepts to accounting practice in real-life business situations ( Black 2012 Pathways Commission 2012).

Worldwide, the GBI teaching case is estimated to be in use in more than 400 universities in over 40 countries and the GBI SAP ERP system has over 100,000 active users annually. Currently, Seidman ERP Program curriculum can be found in over 54 class sections, across all business majors, impacting over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students at Grand Valley. GBI’s organizational and master data have been populated in the market-leading ERP software package, SAP ERP. This case is the foundation for many exercises used in numerous courses in various academic majors within the Seidman College of Business, that integrate the different functional areas within the company with a focus on executing business processes. To achieve a cross-functional approach, The Seidman ERP Program has developed a central teaching case focused around Global Bike, Incorporated (GBI), a small bicycle manufacturing/wholesale company. Grand Valley is one of the world’s leading universities in terms of the depth and breadth of integration accomplished in the classroom.
