When spoken, BPCS is pronounced like "bee picks." It was originally developed by a company called System Software Associates® (SSA®), which became SSA Global Technologies® and later was acquired by a business software company called Infor® Global Solutions. Infor® is not the only manufacturer of ERP software, and BPCS is not the only ERP software made by Infor®. The differences between BPCS and ERP software can be confusing to some people. Even though an ERP may not technically be BPCS, some users who have become accustomed to BPCS may refer to all ERP software as BPCS, though incorrectly.
In addition to ERP applications, other planning systems offered by Infor® include workforce management (WFM) and enterprise asset management (EAM) software applications. The workforce refers to the employees that make a company run, so WFM software helps a company manage its personnel resources. When a company is engaged in asset management, that means that it is maximizing its physical resources to make the best use of them. When in use, EAM software would help a company best plan the use of its buildings, vehicles, and machinery so they are of their highest value to the operation of the company. This can include scheduling the use of manufacturing equipment and office facilities to make sure they are used in a way that most benefits the business.