When accurate forecasting inventory levels are kept at maximum efficiency, thisallows for the organization to be profitable.•Integration of the various departments ensures communication, productivity andefficiency.•Adopting ERP software eradicates the problem of coordinating changes betweenmany systems.•ERP software provides a top-down view of an organization, so information isavailable to make decisions at anytime, anywhere.Disadvantages of ERP System•Adopting ERP systems can be expensive.•The lack of boundaries created by ERP software in a company can cause problems ofwho takes the blame, lines of responsibility and employee morale.QUALITY MANAGEMENTQuality management is the act of overseeing all activities and tasks that must beaccomplished to maintain a desired level of excellence. This includes the determination of aquality policy, creating and implementing quality planning and assurance, and quality controland quality improvement. It is also referred to as total quality management (TQM).In general, quality management focuses on long-term goals through the implementation ofshort-term initiatives. Quality management is the act of overseeing all activities and tasksneeded to maintain a desired level of excellence. Quality management includes thedetermination of a quality policy, creating and implementing quality planning and assurance,and quality control and quality improvement.TQM requires that all stakeholders in a business work together to improve processes,products, services and the culture of the company itself. At its core, TQM is a businessphilosophy that champions the idea that the long-term success of a company comes fromcustomer satisfaction and loyalty. TQM requires that all stakeholders in a business worktogether to improve processes, products, services and the culture of the company itself.While TQM seems like an intuitive process, it came about as a revolutionary idea. The 1920ssaw the rise in reliance on statistics and statistical theory in business, and the first-ever knowncontrol chart was made in 1924. People began to build on theories of statistics and ended upcollectively creating the method of statistical process control (SPC). However, it wasn'tsuccessfully implemented in a business setting until the 1950s.It was during this time that Japan was faced with a harsh industrial economic environment. Itscitizens were thought to be largely illiterate, and its products were known to be of lowquality. Key businesses in Japan saw these deficiencies and looked to make a change.Relying on pioneers in statistical thinking, companies such as Toyota integrated the idea ofquality management and quality control into their production processes.