This case examines several key issues around ERP implementation. While most organizations choose the de$-$facto gold standard as their ERP choice, Cisco and its consulting partner, KPMG$,$ went against this perception and selected Oracle, a newcomer in this market. This was a golden opportunity for Oracle to enter a market monopolized by SAP and create ERP modules based on the best practices of Cisco, which was once known as the "most valuable company in the world."

Cisco also agreed to help Oracle market its latest releases to potential customers ahead of the successful implementation. The team selected to implement the model included the best people from Cisco, KMPG$,$ and Oracle. The outcome was highly successful.

So$,$ what type of architecture did Cisco need to make this work? Was this important to the successful implementation? What did Cisco have to change to achieve this architecture?