ERP systems implementation success factors: IS and non-IS managers' perceptions

Abstract

Although previous studies have examined the success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementations, limited research has considered providing a better understanding of the factors that explain success based on feedback from multiple stakeholders. This research uses a field study to compare between the perceptions of the Information Systems (IS) managers and non-IS managers who work in Bahraini enterprises using ERP systems concerning implementation success and the predicators for such systems. The study results showed that the meaning of success of ERP systems did not seem to differ between IS and non-IS managers. They both adopt user satisfaction and business value metrics to measure success. Moreover, both groups perceived 'resistance' and 'organisational fit' as the prime factors for ERP success. However, their perceptions about the rest of the success factors investigated in this study differed, as IS mangers selected 'ease of use', 'training' and 'technical fit' as success predicators while non-IS managers selected 'competitive pressures', 'strategic fit' and 'business process reengineering' factors. In the end, implications concerning the differences between the perceptions of the two main stakeholders have been put forward.