Introduction to ERP Jonathan Arts - 2025/2026
1) Introduction
What is a business process
• Different processes
• To make a product
• To add value
Extra: The goal of a company is to use processes to create a product or service
that adds value to the resources used.
A process consists of multiple steps (with multiple connections and interactions)
+ the goal is to create products or services. It should always add value (cutting,
cooking, …).
A closer look; physical process
Extra: There is a physical flow (of goods) (this belongs to the top icons).
Receipt to customer, delivery invoice, chef's wages, purchase document, and
work order. The paper trail allows me to retrace the physical process. The goal is
to align these (documents (financial) and paper) because they support the
financial process. Because this makes the audit trail easier, there is always the
money side of things. This gives you an overview (see picture, bottom right).
Extra: I receive the goods from my suppliers, they have an ID card, … Every
company aims to make the lines and figures match with the documents below.
Physical process and the documents.
A closer look; documents
Extra: There is a paper trail (of documents)
A closer look; finance
Extra: There is a financial trace in the
form of money and accounting entries
(assets v liabilities)
1
,Extra: Without a paper trail, this is not possible and it makes business operations
much more difficult. For example, you would not know which suppliers still need
to be paid, which customers have not yet paid, or how the physical flow of goods
can be traced.
2) Business Processes
Azure Interior; the furniture company
In this class we will use the case of a furniture
company.
Extra: A lot of process are happing in the back while only the Sales & Distribution
is seen by customers.
Starting with the difference between a department and a process.
A department is a way for a business to organize its activities. Sales department
(today we use this: this means that many departments within the company are
involved in selling), warehouse department, HR, …
Departments are ways of organizing, whereas processes provide a more general
overview of how a company operates.
The 3 processes:
Sales & Distribution (SD)
Materials Management (MM)
Production Planning (PP)
Then you have the Front Office and Back Office (left and right of the black line =
blue boxes).
The left side is the Front Office, which is what you see when you order from
Bol.com (what the customer can see).
Sales & Distribution (SD) is the only process that has a direct impact on the
customer.
The yellow boxes represent the departments: Finance, HR, Logistics.
Azure Interior; Sales
2
,The sales department
Extra: Our sales department is in charge of contacting the client and the majority
of the sales process (not all of it though!!)
Goal = to sell
The sales department Pre-sales: what does our customer want = selection
(bv cold callin) (stap 1 is het kennen van je customer) (bv cold
calling: do you need it,… maar ze kunnen ook naar jou
komen)
Salesorder: mutual commitment or transaction
The warehouse (WH) <- Check availability in warehouse
(WH)
Extra: The Sales department first determines what the customer wants and
prepares a quotation. If the customer agrees, the quotation becomes a sales
order. During the sales process, the availability of the products is checked in the
warehouse (this is often done during the sales process – see later). If everything
is in order, the company tries to secure the contract.
After the negotiations, there is a sales order, which represents a mutual
commitment ("it's like a marriage" – both parties are committed). For example,
you have to deliver 300 desks to Artevelde by 12 May.
Commitment (you can't go back). Salespeople are often "hated" within the
company because once they promise something to a customer, the rest of the
company has to make sure that promise is fulfilled.
The warehouse then checks whether all products are available. If not, additional
desks (or other products) must be produced.
3
, The warehouse (WH): Product in stock Or Product not in stock
Extra: Two option either in stock or not
Azure Interior; Sales
Logistics Product in stock Pick & pack the goods Ship the goods The
sales department
Extra: If the goods are in stock, the system allows the warehouse to pick, pack,
and ship the goods to the customer. Upon delivery, the customer signs to
confirm receipt of the goods. The Sales team then follows up with the customer.
Example: When you order from Zalando, you may be asked to sign for the
delivery. The signature serves as proof that the goods have been delivered and
received by the customer.
4: pick and pack
5: ship the goods (soms als zalando iets levert moet je iets tekenen,
waarom is dat
Logistics product in stock (ikea, heel veel orde is noodzakelijk) pick & pack
the goods ship the goods the sales department
Azure Interior; Sales
The sales department Send invoice The finance department Follow-
up and receive payment
Extra: Afterwards the salesteam sends the invoice (accounting can also be
tasked to do this) and accounting does the follow-up
If Artevelde didn’t pay the finance department will take action (reminder, the first
one send by the sales department, the others by the finance department)
Invoice (and payment)
Extra: We now try to match the ordered goods to the delivered goods and the
invoice (not the payment!)
3-way match: 3 way match is the idee that We are going to match 3
things. First of all we are going to match our sales order (marage contract, the
4
1) Introduction
What is a business process
• Different processes
• To make a product
• To add value
Extra: The goal of a company is to use processes to create a product or service
that adds value to the resources used.
A process consists of multiple steps (with multiple connections and interactions)
+ the goal is to create products or services. It should always add value (cutting,
cooking, …).
A closer look; physical process
Extra: There is a physical flow (of goods) (this belongs to the top icons).
Receipt to customer, delivery invoice, chef's wages, purchase document, and
work order. The paper trail allows me to retrace the physical process. The goal is
to align these (documents (financial) and paper) because they support the
financial process. Because this makes the audit trail easier, there is always the
money side of things. This gives you an overview (see picture, bottom right).
Extra: I receive the goods from my suppliers, they have an ID card, … Every
company aims to make the lines and figures match with the documents below.
Physical process and the documents.
A closer look; documents
Extra: There is a paper trail (of documents)
A closer look; finance
Extra: There is a financial trace in the
form of money and accounting entries
(assets v liabilities)
1
,Extra: Without a paper trail, this is not possible and it makes business operations
much more difficult. For example, you would not know which suppliers still need
to be paid, which customers have not yet paid, or how the physical flow of goods
can be traced.
2) Business Processes
Azure Interior; the furniture company
In this class we will use the case of a furniture
company.
Extra: A lot of process are happing in the back while only the Sales & Distribution
is seen by customers.
Starting with the difference between a department and a process.
A department is a way for a business to organize its activities. Sales department
(today we use this: this means that many departments within the company are
involved in selling), warehouse department, HR, …
Departments are ways of organizing, whereas processes provide a more general
overview of how a company operates.
The 3 processes:
Sales & Distribution (SD)
Materials Management (MM)
Production Planning (PP)
Then you have the Front Office and Back Office (left and right of the black line =
blue boxes).
The left side is the Front Office, which is what you see when you order from
Bol.com (what the customer can see).
Sales & Distribution (SD) is the only process that has a direct impact on the
customer.
The yellow boxes represent the departments: Finance, HR, Logistics.
Azure Interior; Sales
2
,The sales department
Extra: Our sales department is in charge of contacting the client and the majority
of the sales process (not all of it though!!)
Goal = to sell
The sales department Pre-sales: what does our customer want = selection
(bv cold callin) (stap 1 is het kennen van je customer) (bv cold
calling: do you need it,… maar ze kunnen ook naar jou
komen)
Salesorder: mutual commitment or transaction
The warehouse (WH) <- Check availability in warehouse
(WH)
Extra: The Sales department first determines what the customer wants and
prepares a quotation. If the customer agrees, the quotation becomes a sales
order. During the sales process, the availability of the products is checked in the
warehouse (this is often done during the sales process – see later). If everything
is in order, the company tries to secure the contract.
After the negotiations, there is a sales order, which represents a mutual
commitment ("it's like a marriage" – both parties are committed). For example,
you have to deliver 300 desks to Artevelde by 12 May.
Commitment (you can't go back). Salespeople are often "hated" within the
company because once they promise something to a customer, the rest of the
company has to make sure that promise is fulfilled.
The warehouse then checks whether all products are available. If not, additional
desks (or other products) must be produced.
3
, The warehouse (WH): Product in stock Or Product not in stock
Extra: Two option either in stock or not
Azure Interior; Sales
Logistics Product in stock Pick & pack the goods Ship the goods The
sales department
Extra: If the goods are in stock, the system allows the warehouse to pick, pack,
and ship the goods to the customer. Upon delivery, the customer signs to
confirm receipt of the goods. The Sales team then follows up with the customer.
Example: When you order from Zalando, you may be asked to sign for the
delivery. The signature serves as proof that the goods have been delivered and
received by the customer.
4: pick and pack
5: ship the goods (soms als zalando iets levert moet je iets tekenen,
waarom is dat
Logistics product in stock (ikea, heel veel orde is noodzakelijk) pick & pack
the goods ship the goods the sales department
Azure Interior; Sales
The sales department Send invoice The finance department Follow-
up and receive payment
Extra: Afterwards the salesteam sends the invoice (accounting can also be
tasked to do this) and accounting does the follow-up
If Artevelde didn’t pay the finance department will take action (reminder, the first
one send by the sales department, the others by the finance department)
Invoice (and payment)
Extra: We now try to match the ordered goods to the delivered goods and the
invoice (not the payment!)
3-way match: 3 way match is the idee that We are going to match 3
things. First of all we are going to match our sales order (marage contract, the
4
