企業資源規劃系統為一套整合企業流程的營運管理系統，它可即時處理日常交易及每月結帳統計相關作業。營運過程最主要是將所有企業資源之活動，透過這些資源的處理規劃，能為公司產生利潤，也減少成本，基於利潤與成本之間的平衡，需整合這些資源及快速回應，讓資源的效率最佳化。台灣的IC設計業產值居世界第二位，因此IC設計業在台灣高科技業中扮演相當重要的角色。IC設計公司ERP需求比起一般製造業有其特殊規格，所以選擇適合公司需求的ERP系統，並評估系統導入後的投資報酬率，才能確保系統導入後的預期成效。本研究期望藉由實務的訪談記錄，進行IC設計業需求之系統化分析，研究中以市佔最常用的美商甲骨文公司(Oracle)及德國思愛普(SAP)兩套ERP做評估分析，以提供台灣IC設計公司選擇ERP之參考，並協助IC設計業找出企業內部需求，歸納出選購成功的關鍵因素。

Enterprise resource planning system is a management information system integrating and managing different business operational processes for an enterprise; ERP can handle daily business transactions in real time and perform monthly accounting operations. Business operations require enterprise resources like people, machines, materials, and money. The activities of these resources generate both profits and costs for a company. To balance between profit and cost of operating business, firms need ERP to integrate and optimize operations among enterprise resources so that firms can quickly response to business environment change and obtain operation efficiency. The IC design firms play a very important role in Taiwan’s high-tech industry since the economic output of Taiwan's IC design industry ranks second in the world. Compared to most manufacturing industries’ ERP requirements which share many common features, IC design industry often companies many unique specifications different from those common features. Thus, an IC design firm must carefully evaluate its unique requirements to select an appropriate ERP solution and conduct detailed return on investment analysis of that solution to ensure the successful implementation of ERP system. In light of the complexities of evaluating ERP system, this research will aim at finding the critical success factors (CSF) for the ERP evaluation through vendor analysis of two popular ERP systems, Oracle and SAP, and analyzing interview responses from key ERP users and decision makers of an IC design firm. The finding of this research will help IC design firms choose an ERP solution that most fit their needs.