ERP

as most of the friends know that i m working as a software developer ,and currently i m working on two different projects both are erp's but have a very much difference .
but one thing is clear in my mind that any erp for any industry its fits on the below definition .





Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an integrated computer-based system used to manage internal and external resources including tangible assets, financial resources, materials, and human resources. It is a software architecture whose purpose is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. Built on a centralized database and normally utilizing a common computing platform, ERP systems consolidate all business operations into a uniform and enterprise wide system environment.

An ERP system can either reside on a centralized server or be distributed across modular hardware and software units that provide "services" and communicate on a local area network. The distributed design allows a business to assemble modules from different vendors without the need for the placement of multiple copies of complex, expensive computer systems in areas which will not use their full capacity


above definition taken from Wikipedia .

what a industry gets from an erp

i think the erp does not increase your profit but it saves your business from small size losses ,which are not countable individually but make huge difference in collective manner.