A Knowledge-Based Framework to Manage Flexibility in ERP Systems

Abstract

The need for flexibility in organisations and information systems has long been recognised. Much research has been conducted to understand the flexibility concept in various types of information systems. Comparatively less research has been conducted to understand the process of managing flexibility in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This paper focuses on developing a conceptual framework for managing flexibility in ERP systems emphasising the need for a match between external and internal flexibilities. The application of the framework is illustrated with a case example. The framework is intended to understand ERP systems' flexibility enabled organisational performance. The framework will provide a basis to assess the impact of ERP systems' flexibility on organisations, to measure the internal and external flexibilities of ERP systems and to develop guidelines to manage flexibilities for ERP systems.