ERP (enterprise resource planning) is an industry term for the broad set of activities that helps a business manage the important parts of its business.

An important goal oF ERP is to facilitate the flow of information so business decisions can be data-driven. ERP software suites are built to collect and organize data from various levels of an organization to provide management with insight into key performance indicators in real time.

An ERP management information system integrates areas such as planning, purchasing, inventory, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, etc.

ERP is most frequently used in the context of software. As the methodology has become more popular, large software applications have been developed to help companies implement ERP in their organization.