Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a type of software that businesses use to handle standard business processes including accounting, purchasing, project management, risk management, and supply chain management. ERP, which lets users observe daily operations and changes, is used by many organisations and academic institutions. In many schools and institutions, it is also used to give students access to information and updates about things like attendance, daily schedules, exam results, and other things. However, accessing the current generation of ERPs, which are widely used in colleges and universities, might be difficult for blind students. The solution to this problem is to develop a voice assistive application that links to the college/university database and allows visually impaired users to use voice commands to retrieve the data. With the use of this application, students may submit voice commands, and the user will hear the output as audio based on the input.
Top1. Introduction
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the term used to describe the coordinated administration of important company operations, usually in real time. It is referred to as a subclass of business management software that a firm may use to acquire, store, organize, and comprehend data from a range of business operations. It is typically a group of linked applications. These systems keep tabs on the status of contractual obligations, such as orders, purchase orders, and payroll, as well as resources, such as cash, raw materials, production capacity, and untrained staff. Production, buying, sales, accounting, and other departments that provide the data are among the many that share it with the system's applications.
Nowadays, developers put more effort into connecting mobile devices to ERP systems. As well as other business apps, ERP suppliers are expanding ERP to these devices so that enterprises won't need to rely on third-party applications. For instance, the e-commerce platform Shopify was able to incorporate Oracle and Microsoft ERP products into its app in October 2021.
In order to accommodate the unique needs of higher education institutions, ERP systems have undergone a little amount of modification. These software solutions support organisations in managing business workflows by streamlining information throughout various institutional operations, departments, and activities. Additionally, it supports lecturers in handling their administrative responsibilities, room reservations, class and exam schedules, and many other areas of the student life cycle that are automated. This software solution will enable them to manage all administrative processes from a single, integrated platform. Since the younger generation of students is more interested in technology, ERP systems are utilised to keep up with the times and meet their needs, including the provision of self-service portals and remote access to libraries, among other things. Today's students can obtain all the information they need with just one click. But with the current ERPs in use at the college, this is difficult for the blind pupils. because students who are blind or visually handicapped find it difficult and ineffective to access the information because they must first type their credentials.
With the current ERPs being used at the college, this presents difficulties for the blind pupils. For students who are blind or visually challenged, accessing the information is challenging and unproductive since users must first type their credentials. For students who are blind or visually challenged, accessing the information is challenging and unproductive since users must first type their credentials.
However, there may be a number of difficulties for visually impaired students when using educational resource platforms (ERPs). Several of these difficulties include:
Accessibility: Students who are blind or visually impaired may not be able to use ERPs to their full potential since the content may be presented in a way that makes it challenging to read or use without the aid of visuals. The platform can also be deficient in the assistive technology required for students who are blind to access the content, like screen readers or text-to-speech software.
Navigation: Visually impaired students may have difficulty navigating the platform and finding the information they need. This could be due to the lack of clear and intuitive navigation options, or the complexity of the platform's user interface.
Content: ERPs may not always provide content in an accessible format for visually impaired students. For example, images or videos may not be described in sufficient detail to allow visually impaired students to understand their meaning.
Communication: Some ERPs may not provide effective communication channels for visually impaired students to interact with teachers and peers. This could include limitations in the platform's chat or messaging features, or the lack of support for alternative forms of communication, such as Braille.
Technical issues: Visually impaired students may face technical issues when using ERPs, such as compatibility problems with assistive technologies, slow or unreliable internet connections, or difficulties with software updates.
Evidences proves the inaccessibility of ERPs by visually challenged students. Some of their studies are National Federation of the Blind (2016), Yu and Lee (2019), Coklar and Gurkan (2020), Bawaneh (2020), Tsai and Lin (2016), National Council on Disability (2011).