Experiences and Success Factors in ERP Implementations in Spain and Latin America (Spanish)

Abstract

This article analyzes implementation strategies of ERP systems. The motivation for this study was to explore relations between business strategies, implementation strategies, and the impact of the implementation on business results. Based on data from 91 companies in Spain and Latin America, we describe the profile of the companies, their environmental variables and implementation strategies, and the perceived impact of implementation on business results. The results shed light on the debate on implementations based on business processes and implementations based on functions. It is noteworthy that companies that base their competitive strategies on differentiation tend adopt process-based implementations, modeling the processes and adapting them to the ERP. In this case, the involvement of senior management is high, and implementations tend to have global reach and follow rapid deployment (so called big-bang approach.)Although a high proportion of implementations fail to be completed on time or on budget, the implementation results from the perspective of user satisfaction and perceived usefulness are good. The ERP contribution to business objectives also shows a significant improvement in integration, or supply chain, capabilities in the medium term, but not short-term economic improvements.The investigation shows useful insights for practitioners and suggests an alignment model of business strategies and ERP implementation strategies.