clipped from: www.business-software.com 
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) combines methodologies with software and hardware components to integrate numerous critical back-office functions across a company.
Made up of a series of “modules” or applications that are seamlessly linked together through a common database, an ERP system enables operating units such as Accounting and Finance, Human Resources, Production, and Fulfillment and Distribution to coordinate activities, share information, and collaborate.
