Business Planning and Control System (BPCS) is closely connected with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) because BPCS is a type of ERP software. The basic difference is that BPCS is a specific type of ERP made by a business software company called Infor®. Because not all ERP software is the BPCS kind, BPCS and ERP cannot always be used interchangeably. BPCS is sometimes called ERP BPCS.
BPCS and ERP are similar with some small differences in their functional meaning. ERP systems are integrated planning and management systems that are made accessible to many users using either a server kept either on company grounds or one hosted off site. Generally, an ERP system is used a tool used in a process called business systems planning. Enterprise resource planning is a broad phrase which refers to a number of business planning processes, including manufacturing resource planning and computer integrated manufacturing. Common manufacturers of ERP software include Oracle®, Infor® and Peoplesoft®.
Generally, BPCS and ERP perform the same tasks, since BPCS follows the same pattern of features as other types of ERP software. Financial planning, manufacturing and distribution planning, and supply chain management are common features on BPCS and ERP software. This type of software may also include features to help a business manage databases of information, which can be helpful when organizing customer data.