Internal Information Technology Research Articles

The impact of IT use on supply chain coordination: the moderating role of environmental uncertainty

Purpose This study aims to empirically test the direct effects of three types of information technology (IT) use on three dimensions of supply chain coordination (SCC). It further explores the spillover effects of IT use on coordination beyond its domain across the SC. Besides, this study probes into the moderating effects of environmental uncertainty (EU). Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to examine data collected from 202 firms in Hong Kong. Furthermore, multi-group SEM analysis with a series of invariance tests was used to test the moderating effects of EU. Findings Internal, supplier and customer IT use have direct effects on internal, supplier and customer coordination, respectively. Besides, IT use generates forward spillover effects beyond its domain along the forward physical flow in an SC. EU positively moderates the relationships between external IT use and SCC but does not shape the effectiveness of internal IT use in enhancing SCC. Moreover, under a high EU, the spillover effects of IT use on coordination can be intensified. Besides, the spillover effects further expand to benefit coordination on a larger scale of the SC under a high EU. Originality/value This study contributes by revealing that in addition to direct effects, IT use in a specific domain could generate spillover effects on coordination beyond its domain throughout an SC. More importantly, it contributes by explaining the difference in the effectiveness of IT use under different levels of EU using multi-group SEM analysis.

Production Chain Organization in the Digital Age: Information Technology Use and Vertical Integration in U.S. Manufacturing

Advances in information technology (IT) may affect the organizational design of production. Exploiting the rapid diffusion of the internet in the United States, we assess the sensitivity of production chain organization to this innovation in IT access and use. Extending theories of the firm that recognize the importance of downstream transfers (selling as opposed to sourcing) and plural governance in organizational design, we predict IT-driven shifts in downstream vertical integration. In a detailed panel of Census Bureau data for over 5,600 manufacturing plants, we observe the extent of a production unit’s downstream transactions within the firm alongside concurrent sales to external customers—a mix we refer to as plural selling. Our main finding is that the use of the internet for external coordination precipitated a significant decline in downstream vertical integration across the manufacturing sector. Instrumental variables estimation points to a causal relationship but also heterogeneous treatment effects. Key drivers of plural organization, such as complementarities and constraints across differently governed transactions, help explain such heterogeneity, as does concurrent use of internal production management IT. Our study is the first study to leverage a plural governance framework and large-scale microdata to understand how U.S. production chain organization shifted in response to this rapid and far-reaching technological change. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, information systems. Funding: This research was performed at the Atlanta, Boston, and Cornell (supported by the Cornell Center for the Social Sciences) Federal Statistical Research Data Centers [Project 1069 (CBDRB-FY22-279)]. Support for the Research Data Centers network from the National Science Foundation [Grant ITR-0427889] is gratefully acknowledged, as is support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.01586 .

Apparatus Competence, Internal Control System, Information Technology Utilization and Accountability of Village Fund Allocation Management

Purpose: This research aims to determine and analyze the influence of apparatus competency, internal control systems, and information technology on village government accountability in managing village fund allocations. Research Design and Methodology: The data analysis method that will be carried out consists of descriptive statistical analysis, validity test, reliability test, classical assumption test, and hypothesis testing through multiple linear regression analysis, t test and f test. Findings and Discussion: The research results show that apparatus competency has a negative and insignificant effect on village government accountability in managing village fund allocation. Meanwhile, the internal control system and information technology positively and significantly affect village government accountability in managing village fund allocations. Implications: The practical implication of the results of this research is the need for serious attention to increasing competence, implementing an effective internal control system, and optimizing the use of information technology in managing village funds.

Nonmarket strategy and innovation performance in pharmaceutical industry: the moderating effect of internal capability and external IT environment

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between nonmarket strategy and innovation performance, as well as the boundary factors that influence this relationship in the context of the pharmaceutical industry in emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed matched data of 227 Chinese pharmaceutical firms and two secondary databases with SPSS to examine the hypotheses. Findings Nonmarket strategy promotes the innovation performance. High level of firm internal knowledge utilization ability and strategic flexibility strengthens the effect of nonmarket strategy in promoting innovation performance, while information technology (IT) environment weakens the effect of nonmarket strategy in promoting innovation performance. Originality/value The research studies the positive impact of nonmarket strategy on innovation performance in the specific context of Chinese pharmaceutical industry, and it introduces the internal capabilities and external IT environment of the firm as moderators of the relationship between nonmarket strategy and innovation performance. More importantly, this research echoes the call for research on moderator of nonmarket strategy and identifies important boundary conditions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it also explores the impact of the IT environment on the implementation of nonmarket strategy for the first time, which deepens the research on nonmarket strategy’s effect on innovation.

Impact of organisational, environmental, technological and human factors on cloud computing adoption for university libraries

Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative technology in many industries, including academia. As large information repositories, university libraries stand to benefit significantly from the increasing use of cloud computing. University library services especially in developing countries have been limited to what can be provided within the physical premises, potentially leading to a less flexible and less accessible information service delivery model. This situation is driven by the existing technology divide and the myriad challenges associated with information technology (IT) adoption, such as political instability, deficiencies in IT infrastructure, regulatory policies, organisational constraints, and government initiatives or support. To enhance the efficient service delivery of university libraries through the adoption of innovative IT, a thorough study to consider organisational, environmental, technological, and human issues is needed because it can be used as guidelines to assist university libraries in leapfrogging their efforts as a motivation for adopting cloud computing technology for efficient service delivery. The present study examines the success factors contributing to the adoption of cloud computing in university libraries. In light of the abovementioned factors, a review of 25 papers was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach for study selection. The review’s findings demonstrate that various factors significantly influence cloud computing adoption in university libraries. Organisational factors, including top management support, training and education, organisational intention, and readiness, speed up the adoption process. Environmental factors, including competitive pressure, regulatory policies, government support, and service provider support, also impact the adoption of cloud computing. Technology-related factors, including relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity, must be considered for successful adoption. Furthermore, the extent to which cloud computing finds acceptance within university libraries is notably shaped by human factors, encompassing elements such as the attitudes and perceptions of staff towards IT change, the internal IT proficiency within the institution, and the prior technological experiences of the staff. Based on the findings, this study recommends formulating a comprehensive framework that considers all these constituent factors to facilitate the wider adoption of cloud computing in university library settings. Such a framework should focus on providing robust top-level management support, enhancing staff education and training, considering the influence of environmental factors, addressing pertinent technological challenges, and cultivating a pro-change mindset among library personnel

ANALISIS FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI AKUNTABILITAS PENGELOLAAN DANA DESA PADA KABUPATEN KUANTAN SINGINGI

This study aims to analyze the factors that have an impact on village fund management accountability, which consists of internal control systems, financial report accessibility, community participation, and information technology utilization on village fund management accountability in Kuantan Singingi district. This study is aquantitative research. The population in this study is a village in Kuantan Singingi Regency, Riau Province. The sample in this research is a developing village in Kuantan Singingi, Riau Province and uses purposive sampling method. The type of data used in this research is primary data. Data collection techniques using a questionnaire. The analytical method used is Multiple Regression Analysis. The statistical findings of this study reveal that the factors of Internal Control System, Community Participation, and Information Technology Utilization impact the Accountability of Village Fund Management but not the Accessibility of Financial Reports. As a consequence, it is intended that this research will contribute to the growth of accounting literature, and that the findings would be useful to the Village Government in managing its strategic actions.

Role of ICT Risk Management on Insider Fraud Prevention in Commercial Banks in Nairobi County

Purpose: The main objective of the research was to investigate the role of ICT risk management on reduction of insider frauds in the Kenyan banks in Nairobi County. The research explored ICT risks management practices incorporated in the banking industry to mitigate and control insider fraud.
 Methodology: Explorative research design and inferential statistics were used. The unit of analysis was the ICT risk management professionals in all the commercial banks in Nairobi County. 42 commercial banks formed the population of the study. The unit of observation were the ICT security, audit and risk professionals mandated with implementing ICT risk management. The targeted number was at least one respondent from each bank from the three departments identified: internal audit, Information technology, and security managers. In total, the study targeted 42 respondents and a total 29 responses were received which formed 69% of the targeted population. Responses from the distributed questionnaires were analyzed using statical packages for social science (SPSS). The open-ended questions were listed, analysed and reported by descriptive narrative with such statistics as mean and standard deviation. The ANOVA test was used to test the results.
 Findings: The findings revealed that there is a positive but insignificant correlation between ICT risk assessment, ICT awareness, Information security implementation and a significant positive correlation between information security audits and Insider fraud prevention. This study recommends that ICT risk assessment; ICT risk awareness; information security audits; and information security policy are important for preventing insider fraud in commercial banks, but there is need to implement them in conjunction with other stringent measure to increase efficiency
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The findings give a theoretical basis for validating the effectiveness of ICT risk management practices in Banks in Nairobi County, this can be adopted by other counties in Kenya. For policy implementation, the study will be important to the central bank of Kenya and any other institution that regulates the banking sector in Kenya in reviewing the current ICT Risk management guidelines. The study shows the adoption of the selected ICT risk management practices by different banks and gives a measure of their effectiveness that ICT Security professionals can use. The study gives the banking sector ICT security professionals a perspective on how ICT risk management can help them improve their ability to curb insider fraud. The study adds to the pool of knowledge for to scholars and academicians.

Grow a Backbone! Introducing Nomos as a New Taxonomic Backbone for Western Australia

In 2022, the Biodiversity Information Office (BIO) launched Dandjoo, a central, actively managed biodiversity data repository for the state of Western Australia (WA) to facilitate data sharing across all environment-related sectors to make biodiversity data more discoverable, accessible, and useable. Future integration with other platforms such as Environment Online as part of the Streamline WA project will support efficient, evidence-based, and transparent decision making for conservation and environmental assessments in Western Australia. Dandjoo will also integrate with The Biodiversity Data Repository as part of the Australian Government's Digital Environmental Assessments Program. Biodiversity data requires taxonomic information as its foundation. To enable the curation of data ingested into Dandjoo, BIO developed Nomos, a taxonomic names management system and authoritative source to aggregate, store and manage recognised taxonomic names of organisms found in Western Australia and any changes to them through history and into the future. This solution did not come without its challenges. There is no single source of Western Australian taxonomy—official checklists are only maintained for some taxonomic groups, and the availability of structured data around taxonomic changes is largely limited to plants through an internal departmental system called WA Census. WA Census is a legacy Oracle forms system for managing and referencing taxonomic names that underpinned several other applications such as FloraBase, WAHERB (WA Herbarium’s collection management information system), NatureMap (now defunct) and the Threatened Species and Communities branch databases for threatened flora and fauna. While Dandjoo needed a taxonomic backbone, there were also many internal systems that would essentially break without a similar source of information to draw from, hence the need to aggregate taxonomic names from the WA Museum and WA Herbarium (WA Census) into one single source of truth. There were also technical challenges for development. Nomos needed to support two nomenclatural codes, and link names together in hierarchies as well as through synonyms. It also needed to integrate with other agency systems and adhere to internal information technology policies and requirements. Additionally, the tight deadline for Dandjoo’s release meant that BIO needed to manage Nomos’s scope carefully for its initial release, deferring some non-core features for future releases. Nomos now aggregates taxonomic names from the Western Australian Herbarium and Western Australian Museum and provides the backbone that enables curation in Dandjoo and access to Western Australia’s biodiversity data. It stores a rich and growing history of taxonomic change, especially names of threatened flora and fauna, providing the capability to “relate” names to each other and track relationships through time. BIO staff, including data engineers and science officers, developed innovative workflows around maintaining taxonomic information in Nomos from Western Australian Herbarium and Western Australian Museum. For example, Nomos and WA Census are unable to be connected via API due to WA Census infrastructure, so data engineers and science officers worked together to develop a script to highlight record changes between WA Census extracts, to make sure that Nomos is kept up to date with WA Census. A similar process was deveoped to keep threatned species names and codes in Dandjoo systems up to date and in line with Threatened Species and Communities. Future workflows need to be developed around standardising the way agencies handle taxonomic names from invasive, alien and naturalised species. Future developments will expand API-driven connectivity with other systems, introduce conservation codes, and enhance functionality around subgenera and hybrid taxa. Nomos and the information it contains will ultimately enhance interoperability and knowledge-sharing across agencies, and support a common understanding of biodiversity data.

A Look at How Regional Financial Accounting, Government Internal Control, and IT Affect Financial Statement Quality

This correlational study aims to explain the impact of the Regional Financial Accounting System (SAKD), the Government Internal Control System (SPIP), and the Use of Information Technology on the Quality of Regional Financial Reports at the Regional Apparatus Organization of Papua Province. The sampling technique is a Saturated sample of 67 respondents who perform duties as general treasurer/assistant/assistant, regional financial report system operator, or financial report verification section. According to the findings of this investigation, the regional financial accounting system needed to be implemented optimally. Supposedly, the implementation of the regional financial accounting system facilitates the achievement of quality regional financial management by local administrations. Implementing the regional accounting system has not optimally contributed to producing high-quality regional financial reports. The effectiveness of the government's internal control system can influence the quality of local government financial reports by continuously applying critical processes to actions and activities carried out by leaders and all employees to provide sufficient assurance of achieving organizational goals through effective and efficient workouts. Utilizing information technology in the OPD environment of the Papua Provincial Government has enhanced the role of information technology in improving the integrity of Local Government Financial Statements.Keywords:Regional Financial Accounting System, Government Internal Control System, Information Technology and Quality of Financial Statements.

Influence of IT Literacy on Lecturer performance

One of the factors that influence the success of an organization's business is the management of information technology (IT) infrastructure that is run well, the Information Technology Literacy as a provider of IS/IT products and services must have the ability to do so. This research consists of two types of research, namely correlation research which will examine the relationship between internal customer satisfaction and seven independent variables. Results of correlation analysis showed that there was a significant effect positive between internal customer satisfaction with seven variable quality of the products and services of IS/IT (reject H 0 hypothesis 1) and there is significant influence positively the quality of the products and services of IS / IT to the perception of improved performance internal customers (reject H 0 in hypothesis 2). The average value of the satisfaction dependent variable is 3.326 and the dependent variable is the perception of increased internal customer performance: 3,430 which means that internal customers currently feel quite satisfied and feel a sufficient increase in their performance after receiving and using the IS/IT products and services provided. by the Information System Service Bureau at STT-PLN . The results of the Mann-Whitney analysis reject H 0 in hypothesis 3, in other words there are significant differences in the assessment of performance aspects between internal customers and IT personnel on the performance of the IT Literacy. Aspects that include: response to problems, development of IS and viruses.

The Influence of Internal Control, User Capability and Information Technology on the Quality of the Accounting Information System at PT VK

This study aims to determine the effect of internal control, user capabilities, and information technology utilization on the quality of accounting information systems at PT VKP. This study uses a quantitative method. The data were obtained by distributing questionnaires to the company’s employees and then analyzed using multiple linear regression as a statistical analysis tool. The sample was 50 employees of PT VKP, those working in the Bureau of Finance, Bureau of Human Resources, General Affairs and Information Technology, Bureau of Internal Control System, Bureau of Marketing, Bureau of Operational, and Bureau of Engineering and Management System. The results of this study indicate that both partially and simultaneously, the variables of internal control, user capabilities, and information technology utilization have a positive and significant impact on the quality of accounting information systems. This shows that the company has well-executed internal control, quality user capabilities, and sophisticated technology that can help a company improve the quality of the accounting information systems used. The value of the coefficient of determination is 0.604, indicating that 60.4% of the quality of accounting information systems (Y) is influenced by internal control (X1), user capabilities (X2), and information technology utilization (X3), while the remaining 39.6% influenced by other variables not examined here. It suggests that further research includes other variables, such as the developments in information technology and top management support.

Determinants of financial inclusion in South Asia: The moderating and mediating roles of internal conflict settlement

Financial inclusion is recognized as a key enabler of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda of the United Nations. Hence, this study investigates the impacts of internal conflicts, economic growth, information and communications technology, institutional quality, and remittance inflows on financial inclusion in selected South Asian countries. Notably, both the independent and moderating/mediating effects of internal conflict settlement on financial inclusion are explored for the countries of concern. Overall, the results from the econometric analysis reveal that internal conflict resolution, higher mobile subscriptions, and lower levels of corruption improve financial inclusivity while higher economic growth inhibits financial inclusion in South Asia. Further, resolving internal conflicts is found to indirectly boost financial inclusion by moderating the economic growth-financial inclusion nexus and mediating the remittance inflows-financial inclusion relationship. In line with these key findings, several financial inclusion-related policies are recommended to help promote financial inclusivity across South Asia.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Akuntabilitas Pengelolaan Keuangan Dana BTT Covid 19 Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Barat

Accountability is an obligation to be responsible for the implementation of activities and final results to the community as the holder of the obligation, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. The people through the DPR/DPRD give authority to the government to manage economic resources, therefore the government has the obligation to convey responsibility, report, present and disclose all activities and activities that are the responsibility of management. This research is to examine the effect of the Government's Internal Control System, information technology and organizational commitment to the Accountability of Financial Management of the Covid 19 BTT Fund in the West Sumatra Provincial Government. The data processed is primary data obtained directly from respondents, namely financial and asset managers at the Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) of the West Sumatra Provincial Government which manages the BTT Covid 19 budget for the 2020 and 2021 Fiscal Years. The results showed that the Government's Internal Control System had an effect on the Accountability of Financial Management of the BTT Covid 19 Fund with the highest indicator being the control environment dimension and the lowest indicator being the risk assessment dimension, while information technology and organizational commitment had no effect on Management Accountability. Finance of the BTT Covid 19 Fund.

In memory of Professor Pierluigi Cecchi.

In memory of Professor Pierluigi Cecchi.

Does human resource investment in internal controls and information technology improve audit efficiency?

This study examines the effect of client human resource investment in internal controls (ICs) and information technology (IT) on audit efficiency. Accordingly, we propose a novel approach to modify the measurement of audit efficiency by directly measuring the length of time from the fiscal year end to the last day of fieldwork of an audit firm—fieldwork lags (FWLs)—rather than audit report lags (ARLs). We investigate the relationship between FWLs and the number of IC personnel and their average work experience at the department level: accounting and finance, IT and others. We find that FWLs are negatively related to the number of IC personnel in the accounting and finance departments and other related areas. Furthermore, FWLs decrease when IC personnel in the IT department have more average work experience. This finding indicates that experienced IC personnel in the IT department are critical to reducing the fieldwork time taken by auditors. Overall results suggest that a client's investment in IC personnel in accounting/finance and IT departments enhances audit efficiency.

An empirical investigation of firm performance through corporate governance and information technology investment with mediating role of corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Saudi Arabia telecommunication sector.

This study intended to examine the effect of information technology (IT) investment and corporate governance mechanism on the performance of the Saudi telecommunication sector with mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). A survey method was used to collect data from the targeted Saudi telecom firm. Results show that corporate governance practices, i.e., internal audit, internal audit committee, and internal board size, have a significant and positive relationship with firm performance. Furthermore, IT investment positively affects the performance of Saudi telecommunication firms. Moreover, CSR mediates the relationship among internal audit, internal audit committee, internal board size, IT investment, and firm performance. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding IT investment, corporate governance mechanism, corporate social responsibilities, and firm performance of telecommunication firms in emerging markets. Furthermore, this study will help the top management of the telecom firms to improve corporate governance and IT investment, which will be beneficial to enhance firm performance.

Green Cloud? An Empirical Analysis of Cloud Computing and Energy Efficiency

The rapid, widespread adoption of cloud computing over the last decade has sparked debates on its environmental impacts. Given that cloud computing alters the dynamics of energy consumption between service providers and users, a complete understanding of the environmental impacts of cloud computing requires an investigation of its impact on the user side, which can be weighed against its impact on the vendor side. Drawing on production theory and using a stochastic frontier analysis, this study examines the impact of cloud computing on users’ energy efficiency. To this end, we develop a novel industry-level measure of cloud computing based on cloud-based information technology (IT) services. Using U.S. economy-wide data from 57 industries during 1997–2017, our findings suggest that cloud-based IT services improve users’ energy efficiency. This effect is found to be significant only after 2006, when cloud computing started to be commercialized, and becomes even stronger after 2010. Moreover, we find heterogeneous impacts of cloud computing, depending on the cloud service models, energy types, and internal IT hardware intensity, which jointly assist in teasing out the underlying mechanisms. Although software-as-a-service (SaaS) is significantly associated with both electric and nonelectric energy efficiency improvement across all industries, infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) is positively associated only with electric energy efficiency for industries with high IT hardware intensity. To illuminate the mechanisms more clearly, we conduct a firm-level survey analysis, which demonstrates that SaaS confers operational benefits by facilitating energy-efficient production, whereas the primary role of IaaS is to mitigate the energy consumption of internal IT equipment and infrastructure. According to our industry-level analysis, the total user-side energy cost savings from cloud computing in the overall U.S. economy are estimated to be USD 2.8–12.6 billion in 2017 alone, equivalent to a reduction in electricity use by 31.8–143.8 billion kilowatt-hours. This estimate exceeds the total energy expenditure in the cloud service vendor industries and is comparable to the total electricity consumption in U.S. data centers. This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems. Supplemental Material: Data files and the online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4442 .

The roles of JIT supply chain practices in new product ramp-up: the moderating effects of IT integration

ABSTRACT Supply chain practices in mature production are widely investigated but little is known about their roles in new product ramp-up. To address this gap, this study specifically investigates the impact of two just-in-time (JIT) supply chain practices (i.e. JIT delivery by suppliers and JIT link with customers) on new product cost and speed-to-market performance. Moreover, the moderating effects of information technology (IT) integration are examined according to organisational information processing theory. After regression analysis with a survey data of 193 firms, the study finds that JIT delivery by suppliers improves cost performance while JIT link with customers increases speed-to-market performance. Moreover, the positive performance effects of JIT delivery by suppliers on cost performance is enhanced by both internal and external IT integration while that of JIT link with customers on speed-to-market performance can only be enhanced by internal IT integration. The theoretical and managerial implications of this study are discussed.

How Internal IT Capability Affects Open Innovation Performance: From Dynamic Capability Perspective

Information technology (IT) and open innovation has been one of hot topic in existing research respectively. However, there are lack empirical research on inner mechanism of internal IT capability affecting open innovation performance. According to dynamic capability theory, this paper puts internal IT capability, internal knowledge integration, firm social capital, and open innovation performance into a theoretical model. Through 232 surveys, the results indicate that internal knowledge integration plays a mediator role in the effect of internal IT capability on open innovation performance. Meanwhile, the relationship between internal IT capability and internal knowledge integration can be positively moderated by firm social capital. This study extends the research on open innovation and IT business value, and provides theoretical direction for practice.

Critical Success Factors for ERP Systems’ Post-Implementations of SMEs in Saudi Arabia: A Top Management and Vendors’ Perspective

Although numerous case studies have determined the critical success factors (CSFs) for enterprise resource planning (ERP) during adoption and implementation stages, empirical investigations of CSFs for ERP in post-implementation stages (after going live) are in scarcity. As such, this study examined the influence of top management support and vendor support as CSFs on the post-implementation stage of ERP systems in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A total of 177 end-users of ERP systems from two manufacturing organizations in KSA that had implemented on-premises ERP systems were involved in this study. Data gathered from structured questionnaires were analyzed using SmartPLS3 and SPSS software programs. The regression analysis was performed to assess the correlations among the variables. Out of seven CSFs identified from the literature, the impact of top management support was significant on user training, competency of internal Information Technology (IT) department, and effective communication between departments, but insignificant on continuous vendor support. Meanwhile, continuous vendor support had a significant influence on continuous integration of the system, but insignificant on user interfaces and custom code. The study outcomes may serve as practical guidance for effective post-implementation in ERP systems. Referring to the proposed research model, ERP post-implementation success in KSA was significantly influenced by top management support, whereas continuous vendor support displayed a substantial impact on the continuous integration of ERP systems.