Enterprise resource planning systems in the aluminium conversion industry

Several publications have reported the benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in different types of companies, in such areas as healthcare systems and government organisations. In this research, emphasis is put on the relevance of ERP principles in the specific area of the aluminium conversion industry (ACI), which has not ( to the authors' knowledge) been addressed in the related literature. The processes involved ( e. g. casting and rolling), their constraints, and the particular structure of products, are such that the relevance of certain ERP principles ( e. g. use of MRP concepts) may appear questionable. Our article aims at identifying important benefits, but also limitations and problems, which may arise when implementing ERP in ACI companies. We identify specific features of ACI that are likely to cause problems, and quickly recall some important principles of ERP and MRP systems. We show that if benefits can indeed be expected, in certain cases important limitations exist, mainly due to the use of MRP concepts, which can significantly affect the production planning of these companies. We conclude that, depending on the commercial strategy of the ACI companies concerned, specific developments may be required in ERP in order to fully fulfil their needs. Several major research perspectives are proposed.