Enterprise Resource Planning Post-Implementation Research Articles

The CSFs from the Perspective of Users in Achieving ERP System Implementation and Post-Implementation Success: A Case of Saudi Arabian Food Industry

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have a major impact on the functioning of organizations and the development of business strategy. However, one of the main reasons that cause failure in ERP implementations to achieve the expected benefits is that the system is not fully accepted by end users. User rejection of the system is the second reason after time and budget overrun, while the fourth barrier to ERP post-implementation. Most studies have focused on ERP adoption and installation while neglecting post-implementation evaluation, which omits insights into the priority of ERP systems and CSFs from the stance of ERP users. Therefore, this study identified factors that led to user acceptance of the use of ERP systems at both implementation and post-implementation stages (after installation). In addition, this study assessed the interrelationship between the factors and the most influential factors toward user acceptance. A survey was conducted among pioneers of the food industry in Saudi Arabia, which included 144 ERP system users from assembly and manufacturing, accounts, human resources, warehouse, and sales departments. The descriptive-analytical approach was deployed in this study. As a result, project management, top management support, and user training had significant impacts on the efficacy of ERP system implementation. On the contrary, support for technological changes in new software and hardware, managing changes in systems, procedures, and work steps already in place within the organization, as well as user interfaces and custom code, displayed a direct impact on user acceptance of ERP systems post-implementation. This study is the first research that provides a rating of CSFs from the perspective of its users in Saudi Arabia. It also enables decision makers of food industries to better assess the project risks, implement risk-mitigation methods, create appropriate intervention techniques to discover the strengths and limitations of the ERP users, and value the “best of fit” solutions over “best practice” solutions when determining the most appropriate option for food industries.

Organizational culture and information systems strategic alignment

PurposeInformation systems (IS) strategic alignment is a significant chief information officers (CIO) and top management issue because of its impact on a firm’s performance and profitability. Previous studies have primarily examined informal dimension’s influence on IS strategic alignment. Nevertheless, a few research works have emphasised cultural dimension’s effect. The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate and bring out organisational culture’s influence on IS strategic alignment. Notably, it highlights the most significant culture types, according to the Competing Value Framework (Cameron et al., 2006).Design/methodology/approachEmpirical setting comprises a quantitative approach using a survey based on a sample of 160 business managers (BMs) of 53 large companies located in Tunisia with international activities and being in the post-implementation operational use phase of their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The partial least square (PLS) method has been used for data analysis.FindingsThe results provide an empirical evidence supporting a positive and significant organisational culture’s influence on the IS strategic alignment. The findings also show that “Clan Culture” (Internal/Flexibility-oriented culture) positively influences IS alignment along with the strategic priorities. These findings provide guidance and help understand how, through clan culture, the company can contribute significantly to the success of its ERP systems strategic alignment during the most critical phase, namely, post-implementation.Originality/valueDespite abundant work related to IS alignment topic, little research, to the authors’ knowledge, has been undertaken in considering organisational culture’s influence. Thus, this research aims to fill this gap and to raise new questions about IS alignment. First, this study puts together organisational culture (through the Competing values Framework) and strategic alignment (through the IS use dimension) in a single research model to analyse four culture types’ direct effect on IS alignment. Second, this study is innovative in its use of the ERP post-implementation as an empirical framework. The post-implementation phase is often played down in research work in favour of the upstream pre-implementation phases. Furthermore, the findings bring together theoretical and practical insights on both IS-business strategic alignment and ERP post-implementation. Thus, future research could emphasise the role of clan culture in the efficiency of ERP systems strategic alignment during the usage phase. Building on these findings, BM, CIO and top management are advised to promote this culture type based on communication, information sharing and the spirit of internal partnership – so that their ERP systems are used appropriately and aligned with the company’s strategic priorities.

Promoting successful ERP post-implementation: a case study

PurposeDespite the importance of post-implementation activities to support the success of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, there has been a lack of research into the factors that influences post-implementation success. Accordingly, this paper aims to present a case study on a public service organization operating in an emerging market economy, namely, the United Arab Emirates in the ERP post-implementation phase to understand the internal forces within the organization that influences ERP system success.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative method using focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted based upon IT data from the firm and interviews with IT staff, business users and executive management to identify system users’ perceptions in post ERP.FindingsThe authors posit that the internal organizational forces of ongoing support, system user interactions and stakeholder views significantly affect post-implementation capabilities and user satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsIT professionals and stakeholders believe that identification of the factors determining post-implementation ERP capabilities and user satisfaction should not be limited to specific practices.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights that can assist CIOs and ERP professionals in the service industry to examine the extent of obstructions to post-implementation capabilities that will impact system user satisfaction.Originality/valueUse of FGDs to explore the impact of ERP capabilities upon system user satisfaction in the service sector. The study is one of the first that utilizes Technological frames of reference (TFR) theory in studying ERP post-implementation.

Performance, farmer perception, and the routinisation (RO) moderation on ERP post-implementation

This study discusses the perceptions of the routinisation effects on the post-implementation and post-adoption of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) in farms. A theoretical model and nine hypotheses were proposed using factors according to the literature of resource-based view (RBV) approach and on the ERP impact on farm performance perceptions. This study contributes to the literature by testing empirically the moderation effect of routinisation on the RBV. A qualitative interview was applied to larger farmers where ERP was already in use and for the quantitative approach a sample of 448 answers was collected composed of 74% grain farmers, 14% cattle raising and milk producers, and 13% sugar cane and fruits farmers. The results reveal that the model explains 63% of the variation in the impact on farm performance. Our results show that routinisation moderates only the relationship between the impact on internal operations with impact on farm performance. The conclusions confirm the necessity to expand the RBV approach to the farmer perceptions, exploring other factors like the benefits and the impact of natural resources in the routinisation process. Finally, we propose a discussion of the development of Agriculture 4.0 in a resource-based view for the development of competitive advantage in the context of farms.

Examining Enterprise Resource Planning Post Implementation and Employees’ Performance in Small and Medium Enterprises Using DeLone and McLean’s Information System Success Model

This study examines the effect of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) post implementation on employees’ performance in Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in Malaysia. Specifically, this study relies on the DeLone and McLean’s information system success model that proposes three quality dimensions namely, system quality, information quality and service quality in examining the effect of ERP post implementation on employees’ performance in SMEs. Using a questionnaire survey on 117 respondents that have experience in ERP, this study shows that out of the three qualities of ERP, system quality and service quality have a significant positive effect on employees’ performance in the SMEs. This study shows that information quality does not have a significant effect on employees’ performance in Malaysia. This study contributes to the information system literature and provides information regarding the quality dimensions which could help managers or ERP providers to assess the success of their ERP implementation.

ERP Systems in Multinational Enterprises: A literature Review of Post-implementation Challenges

This paper reports on a literature review focusing on challenges during post-implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in a multinational context. Through an extensive literature search across multiple databases, we identified 20 articles which address issues in this context. Global demands prove to be a key challenge and source of conflict between parent and subsidiary companies: frequently, parent companies seek control through standardized solutions, while local subsidiaries aim to sustain local processes and routines. The primary focus is to shed light on these contradictive objectives unfolding in this context and identify research areas that need more attention in future ERP post-implementation research.

Establishing an evidence-based 9D evaluation approach for ERP post-implementation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a systematic and customisable framework, titled the 9D approach, aiming to evaluate the enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems as well as to identify potential socio-technical problems, misfits and deficiencies that can cause ERP failure during the system post-implementation phase.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed 9D ERP evaluation framework includes nine dimensions and 85 evaluation criteria. This theoretical framework is then used in a six-step evaluation process based on a mixed-methods design. A case study involving a large-size private company in China was used as an exemplification to illustrate how the proposed 9D approach can be applied in practices.FindingsThe findings of the study clearly demonstrated that after the ERP “go-live” point, companies still experience many challenges and problems in the post-implementation phase. These problems can be located in very diverse organisational, systemic and personnel aspects of the company, as well as across different functional areas and organisational levels. The proposed 9D approach was demonstrated to be an efficient and systematic tool to investigate and explore such ERP problems in an in-depth level within the organisational context.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the theory of IS evaluation in general, and provides valuable insights into the ERP post-implementation evaluation in particular.Practical implicationsThe proposed ERP evaluation approach forms a sound base for continuous ERP improvement and contributes to sustain seamless alignment between ERP and its organisational context. The customisable feature of the framework offers flexibility and enables its use by companies of all sizes, any sector, and any country.Originality/valueTo the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the most extensive and comprehensive framework for the post-evaluation of ERPs proposed hitherto. The need for this new framework was grounded on the argumentation of the drawbacks of existing ERP measurement and evaluation studies that simply focus on success rather than the more critical failure factors.

An Integrative Environmental Framework for a Better Enterprise Resource Planning Post-Implementation Success

The objective of research paper is to introduce a conceptual model to better define environmental Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) post-implementation stage based on the Technological, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) framework. In addition, the paper adds to existing literature the CSF of external trust with customers and suppliers, which few studies have done. The previous studies and their theoretical and conceptual frameworks are developed to demonstrate a new conceptual environmental framework that embodies CSFs that empirically related to the ERP Post-Implementation Success (PIS), and add new approaches into impacts of the external trust factor on the PIS of ERP. The paper introduced a missed place of research depicting the impact of external trust on PIS of ERP and as well a shortage of a better holistic conceptual framework structured to discuss the impact of external pressures and external consultant support on PIS of ERP. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6p153

Analysis of the Critical Success Factors for Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation from Stakeholders’ Perspective: A Systematic Review

The successful implementation project of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has many benefits for the implementing organisation. However, on other side, failing this project would have several negative implications not only on the business but also on the ERP vendor. Therefore, considering all the factors that might affect the success of this project is considered as a priority for all parties involved in this project. Many papers or journal articles have studied the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that influence the ERP implementation and post implementation phases, however, very few has considered them from the stakeholders’ perspective. Hence, this research will fill this gap by providing a systematic review for the literature related to CSFs in the ERP implementation and also present them while considering the participants’ different perspectives. This paper presents a systematic review of 35 research articles published on the CSFs implementation between 2000 and 2013. We collected and analysed 35 of the key articles discussing and analysing ERP implementation. The paper identifies a total of 51 CSFs in ERP implementation. In these 51 CSFs, top management support and commitment, training and education, project management, clear vision and objectives of the ERP system, careful change management and Interdepartmental communication were the most frequently cited as the CSFs to the successful implementation of ERP systems. A better understanding of the CFSs will help the practitioners and managers to improve the chance of success in the implementation projects.

Enhancing Functional Fit with Continuous Training During the ERP Post-Implementation Phase

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP, feature a rich set of integrated business applications. However, to maximize the long term benefits from ERP implementations, organizations need to careful manage the post-implementation phase and focus on supporting end users to achieve better fit between their business processes and the ERP system features. This study develops a research model based on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and finds support for a positive and complementary relationship between continuous training resources, functional fit capability and business process success. An increase in continuous training resources increases the functional fit capability for the organization and is seen to improve business process success. The results support the need to focus on continuous end user training throughout the post implementation phase as a key contributor to ERP systems success for any organization.