ERP was developed for a different era;one characterised by booming economies and double-digit growth. In those heady days the emphasis was on maximising transaction throughput, ‘straight through processing’ (low error rates) and reducing average transaction costs. ERP was internally focussed, and principally concerned about efficiently marshalling resources, such as, people, assets,cash and processes.

But in the midst of the networked-economy, businesses find themselves operating in a profoundly different environment marked by increased business complexity, unfettered competition and rapidly changing business models. It’s an era in which mastery of customer, employee and other stakeholder relationships through the application of social business tools has become crucial to success.

Accenture2, the consulting organisation sees it as an evolutionary process in which collaboration becomes firstly embedded in business processes, fuelling efficient and effective communications that create real business value. And this provides a platform for organisations to move beyond “simple transactions” to interacting with customers and employees in a more personal way.

So what is the nature of these interactions? Download our free white paper to find out.