Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system functionalities fall into general groups of applications. Which applications operationally support the day-to-day activities of a business?

• A. Business analysis applications
• B. Core applications
• C. Sales and distribution applications
• D. Online analytical processing (OLAP) applications

Answer: (B)

The activities a business runs every day are supported by the core applications in an ERP system. These are the transactional modules that execute everyday processes across the organization—handling things like order processing, inventory management, procurement, manufacturing, payroll, and the financials (accounts payable/receivable, general ledger). They work in real time with a single integrated database, capturing each transaction and keeping master data current so operations stay coordinated and efficient. Because they are directly responsible for processing routine business tasks and keeping daily operations functioning, they constitute the general group that operationally supports day-to-day activities.

Analytical tools like OLAP are used for reporting and decision support, not for running daily operations. The sales and distribution modules focus on selling and delivering products, which are parts of core operations but do not by themselves describe the broader set of day-to-day activities across all functions.