Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Organizations that depend on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are under increasing pressure to modernize, and Explainable AI has emerged as one of the more promising avenues for doing so, given its demonstrated impact in related domains.

In practice, however, adoption of explainable AI within enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems has been uneven, and its actual impact on system performance is not yet well understood in a rigorous, evaluable way — a gap this study is positioned to address.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Existing approaches to system performance within enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems remain largely reactive and fragmented, with little systematic use of explainable AI despite its demonstrated value elsewhere. This study addresses the resulting gap by designing and evaluating a solution built specifically around explainable AI.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To design and implement a explainable AI-based approach to improving system performance in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
2. To evaluate the effectiveness of Explainable AI in enhancing system performance within enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
3. To identify the key requirements and constraints relevant to deploying explainable AI in this context.
4. To assess user and stakeholder perception of the resulting system.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How can explainable AI be applied to improve system performance in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems?
2. How effective is Explainable AI at enhancing system performance within enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems?
3. What requirements and constraints are relevant to deploying explainable AI in this context?
4. How do users and stakeholders perceive the resulting system?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to software developers and system architects seeking practical guidance on applying Explainable AI within enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. It is equally relevant to organizations that rely on these systems, offering a reference point for evaluating whether such an investment is justified, and it adds to the growing body of work on explainable AI applications in software technology / IT.

1.6 Scope of the Study

As a study of this kind, its scope is confined to designing and evaluating a explainable AI-based solution for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, focused specifically on system performance; broader deployment considerations fall outside this scope.