طرحی جامع به منظور پیاده سازی سیستم های برنامه ریزی پایدار منابع سازمانی (بخش 1): مفاهیم و روش ها A master plan for the implementation of sustainable enterprise resource planning systems (part I): concept and methodology

1. Introduction The transformation from traditional production into modern production happened since the turn of the 20th century in the majority of industries. This phenomenon affected by the emergence of social, environmental, and economic issues (Wilkie and Moore, 2003). To fulfil customers’ demand, industries produce their products via new methods such as mass production. However, this enforcement gradually resulted in resource scarcity, pollution and waste, climate change, loss of biodiversity, poverty and famine, economic inflation, human rights, social justice and equality, health and well-being, and other issues related to the social, environmental, and economic aspects (Lubin and Esty, 2010). These issues causing the future of human beings becoming more perilous (Elliot, 2011). Since the 1960s, awareness within public and community concerning these global issues was progressively improved. It can be seen from numerous efforts from the government level and public community through international conferences and institutions, such as Intergovernmental Conference for Rational Use and Conservation of Biosphere in 1968, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in 1971, and United Nations Conference on Human Environment (UNEP) in 1972 (IISD, 2012). These efforts are the root to the emergence of sustainability term. Sustainability practice is imperative to resolving social and environmental issues (Dentchev et al., 2015). A formal inception began in the 1980’s with the publication of a new policy includes World Conversation Strategy (IUCN, 1980) and the Brundtland report in World Commission on Environment and Development of the United Nations (Brundtland, 1987). However, sustainability scholars often point the Brundtland report as a critical point of sustainability embedded into various disciplines (Chofreh et al., 2014a). The sustainability issue is becoming a critical business aspect and it turns into a global business megatrend (Lubin and Esty, 2010). It enables the creation of a new opportunity through innovation to achieve competitive advantage and drive cost reduction programs (Accenture, 2011). Beyond the obvious cost saving derived from using less energy, additional benefits include changing behaviours leading to increased productivity, improved morale, streamlined business processes, creative innovations and better use of technology (Hutchins, 2009). Organizations that acknowledge and embrace the key drivers for sustainability will obtain the ultimate benefits of market opportunities, efficient business operations and enhanced competitive advantages (Dao et al., 2011). Therefore, numerous organizations integrate sustainability into their business strategies and operations (Almeida et al., 2015). They realize that they have a responsibility to contribute to solving the critical sustainability issues. In addition, their customers expect them to provide sustainable products and services (Chofreh et al., 2015).