Enterprise Resource Planning systems are immense environments that are quite hard for novice users to grasp. A new user will judge an unknown system heavily by its usability. This makes it crucial that the introduction of a system portrays the system as being as usable as possible. We used a gamified workshop based on the ERPsim simulation game to introduce students to the SAP Enterprise Resource Planning solution, and then measured the perceived System Usability Scale (SUS) of SAP and its modules. We then compared the usability results with other comparable studies and found them to be higher, which is correlated with the positive effect of gamification that the workshop left on its participants. The results need to be confirmed further, because the preliminary study employs several limitations on the sample size, demographics and different versions of the SAP ERP software used in comparable studies.

Introduction

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) are big complex suites of software aimed at helping organizations integrate data & information flow and business processes [1]. The systems cover all functional areas of the company [2] (Manufacturing, Sales & Distribution, Payables, Receivables, Inventory, Accounts, Human Resources, Purchases, etc.). Implementing such a complex system is very cumbersome and [3] notes that 50 to 75% of all US companies experience some degree of failure in implementation of ERP systems. Poor training and user involvement, together with user resistance to changes, are among the main factors [4] leading to failure. These implications mean that the first encounter with the ERP system is of the upmost importance, as an inadequate introduction may leave unrepairable consequences. We propose support of serious games for introducing ERP systems. According to Marsh’s definition [5] “Serious games are digital games, simulations, virtual environments and mixed reality/media that provide opportunities to engage in activities through responsive narrative/story, gameplay or encounters to inform, influence, for well-being, and/or experience to convey meaning.”. The only difference between serious and video games is their intended purpose; usefulness for serious and entertainment for video games [6]. Serious games have been found more motivating and engaging than traditional methods for conveying knowledge [6]. They are used in numerous fields, and studies found that additional cognitive abilities were gained that would not been attained in a classic non-gaming environment [7]. Serious games utilize the concept of gamification, that is [8] the use of video game elements in non-gaming systems to improve user experience and user engagement. In this paper, we focus on measuring and comparing the system usability score of the SAP ERP system by using the business simulation game ERPsim for introduction to the system. The study was conducted on post-graduate students participating in an ERP course. The students were first introduced to ERPs in a workshop, and then interacted with them through the whole course as a part of computer exercises. We investigated the system usability scale, to decide how students would perceive such a complex system when introduced to it via use of serious games as compared to the normal introduction in other studies where the gamification approach was not used.