This study investigates some underlying technological factors for linking enterprise resource planning $($ERP$)$ to supply chain

management $($SCM$)$ systems. ERP systems serve technological requirements across functional areas within a corporate

boundary while SCM systems focus on collaborative relationships with partners in the supply chain, emphasizing business

process integration and information sharing through IT$.$ In order to facilitate SCM operations for business planning

and decision making, an ERP system must be extensible in terms of support for a range of external constituents in the

supply chain. The research reported in this paper investigates these linkages and provides a framework for developing

and evaluating SCM processes in order to serve enterprise needs in terms of resource management for scalability,

implementation costs and operational efficiency for meeting the business objectives. What is the purpose of this writi$$g papae