Post-implementation Stage Research Articles

Validation of objective-based ERP value factors measuring intangible benefits - Indian higher education context

The purpose of this paper is to identify ERP value measurement factors based on intangible benefits. Although educational institutes have been adopting ERP systems for many years, the literature reveals that little attention has been given to research on ERP in educational institutes. The ERP implementation is said to be successful only if it adds any value to the organisation. Higher educational institutes find it difficult to measure ERP value in ERP post-implementation stage. For this study ERP values are mapped with the objectives of the ERP implementation on six different parameters: improved academic processes, effective integration, improved decision-making, maximised effectiveness, improved efficiency and increased self-efficacy. ERP value factors are confirmed with the exploratory and confirmatory factors analysis. This study considered identification of ERP value measurement factors based on intangible benefits to determine ERP success. However, future studies may include tangible benefits to get more concrete results.

Decentralized Emergency Service Vehicle Pre-Emption System Using RF Communication and GNSS-Based Geo-Fencing

Giving right of way green signal for the Emergency Service Vehicles (ESV) like ambulance and fire service rescue vehicle with minimum delay is a major challenge in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). This challenge is currently achieved by various conventional Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption (EVP) Systems. These conventional systems fail miserably due to false triggering, line of sight issues, network delays, high cost and low reliability. In this paper, we propose a new decentralized Radio Frequency (RF) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Geo-fencing approach which allows smooth passage of ESVs through the junctions with minimum delays. The proposed system was field trailed in one of the junctions in Thiruvananthapuram, India. Pre and post-implementation travel time of emergency vehicles at the junction was evaluated by an external agency National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), Thiruvananthapuram. The evaluation result shows that there is a considerable reduction in the average travel time taken by the emergency vehicles to cross the cordon area in the post-implementation stage as compared to the pre-implementation stage. The reduction in average travel time is approximately 48%.

Using an implementation science approach to implement and evaluate patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) initiatives in routine care settings

PurposePatient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs/PREMs) are well established in research for many health conditions, but barriers persist for implementing them in routine care. Implementation science (IS) offers a potential way forward, but its application has been limited for PROMs/PREMs.MethodsWe compare similarities and differences for widely used IS frameworks and their applicability for implementing PROMs/PREMs through case studies. Three case studies implemented PROMs: (1) pain clinics in Canada; (2) oncology clinics in Australia; and (3) pediatric/adult clinics for chronic conditions in the Netherlands. The fourth case study is planning PREMs implementation in Canadian primary care clinics. We compare case studies on barriers, enablers, implementation strategies, and evaluation.ResultsCase studies used IS frameworks to systematize barriers, to develop implementation strategies for clinics, and to evaluate implementation effectiveness. Across case studies, consistent PROM/PREM implementation barriers were technology, uncertainty about how or why to use PROMs/PREMs, and competing demands from established clinical workflows. Enabling factors in clinics were context specific. Implementation support strategies changed during pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation stages. Evaluation approaches were inconsistent across case studies, and thus, we present example evaluation metrics specific to PROMs/PREMs.ConclusionMultilevel IS frameworks are necessary for PROM/PREM implementation given the complexity. In cross-study comparisons, barriers to PROM/PREM implementation were consistent across patient populations and care settings, but enablers were context specific, suggesting the need for tailored implementation strategies based on clinic resources. Theoretically guided studies are needed to clarify how, why, and in what circumstances IS principles lead to successful PROM/PREM integration and sustainability.

IMPACT OF DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS GENDER AND NUMBER OF YEARS OF ERP POST IMPLEMENTATION OPERATIONS ON USER PRODUCTIVITY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS, IN INDIAN CONTEXT

The findings from review of extant literature indicated that the actual impact of ERP is generally seen and felt by an organizations during its post implementation stage. It is in this stage that the organizations commence on their journey of using the ERP systems, and start relating to its utility for the activities and processes being carried out by the employees. It is therefore, essential for the organizations to effectively manage the performance of the ERP system in the post implementation stage to deliver expected benefits to the business. Accordingly, it is important to study and understand various influences prevailing upon the ERP system during the post implementations stage and use the knowledge to ensure better managing the deliverables of ERP systems, therein. Evidence from the past studies suggest that the different business settings have varied notable influences on the ERP implementation across phases. The Higher Education Sector in India is growing at a pace, seen never before, and the need to respond to competition pressures, student acquisition, renewed needs of students, and other stake holders, regulatory impositions by the government, globalization. These are few of the many reasons prompting the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to consider and implement solutions to help them respond to these changing needs so as to better deliver stakeholder’s expectations and satisfaction. Productivity of users in the ERP post implementation stage plays an important role in ensuring performance and success of the ERP systems. Guided by the above observations, this paper, through an empirical study, investigates the influence of gender and the period of ERP operations post its implementation, on the productivity of users, across higher education institutions, in an Indian context.

The challenges of livelihoods reconstruction in the context of informal settlement upgrading

Community involvement is recognized as a core condition for success in informal settlements upgrading. However, the wider ramifications of this requirement are not well understood. Mostly, community involvement has been equated with a narrow interpretation of participation, largely focusing on the elicitation of dwellers’ preferences at the planning stages. We argue that this approach overlooks the actual needs for livelihoods reconstruction in the course of upgrading. To better conceptualize these requirements, we propose to analyse the time–space configuration of practices, which we frame as constituting Oscillating Domestic Spaces. The concept illustrates the contingent nature of daily activities to meet livelihoods needs and how people navigate these conditions. Challenges associated with reconstructing new domestic spaces are illustrated using the Kenyan Slum Upgrading (Kensup) initiative in Nairobi, Kenya. The findings suggest that an inadequate understanding and consideration of livelihoods reconstruction reduced legitimacy of the initiative, resulted in rapid deterioration of physical amenities and relegated most of the alleged ‘beneficiaries’ deeper into poverty. We suggest that, for successful settlements upgrading, livelihoods reconstruction should be a core process in the planning, implementation and post-implementation stages.

PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM PERENCANAAN RUANG TERBUKA HIJAU DI KELURAHAN BUKIT TUNGGAL KOTA PALANGKA RAYA

Green Open Space and parks are a balance system between nature and humans in the built area. The concept of green space and parks is a balancing of decreasing open space, and increasing the area built. To improve the balance of the environment and built area, green space in the built area, especially settlements, needs to be restored in order for the two systems to play an optimal role. Parks and green space is a response to the needs of the landscape in a residential area and urban areas. The need for green space and parks is ideally an integrated ecological, social, and economic aspects of the urban area. Community participation proposal aims to show the role of community participation in the utilization of the needs of parks and green space in a residential area for ecological, economic and social sustainability in the future. The proposed community service involves community participation in the management of green space and parks as open space in a residential area in Bukit Tunggal Village, Jekan Raya District, Palangka Raya City. The method is a qualitative focus on observing community participation from the preparation, implementation and post-implementation stages of the implementation of the concept of green space and tree planting and garden arrangement in housing of the Bukit Tunggal village in an integrated manner according to the needs of open space for community activities and environmental preservation.

The effects of an enteral nutrition feeding protocol on critically ill patients: A prospective multi-center, before-after study

PurposeThe aim of this study was to explore the effects of an enteral nutrition (EN) feeding protocol in critically ill patients. MethodsThis was a prospective multi-center before-after study. We compared energy related and prognostic indicators between the control group (pre-implementation stage) and intervention group (post-implementation stage). The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients receiving EN within 7 days after ICU admission. Results209 patients in the control group and 230 patients in the intervention group were enrolled. The implementation of the EN protocol increased the percentage of target energy reached from day 3 to day 7, and the difference between two groups reached statistical significance in day 6 (P = .01) and day 7 (P = .002). But it had no effects on proportion of patient receiving EN (P = .65) and start time of EN (P = .90). The protocol application might be associated with better hospital survival (89.1% vs 82.8%, P = .055) and reduce the incidence of EN related adverse (P = .004). There was no difference in ICU length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU cost. ConclusionThe implementation of the enteral feeding protocol is associated with improved energy intake and a decreased incidence of enteral nutrition related adverse events for critically ill patients, but it had no statistically beneficial effects on reducing the hospital mortality rate.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02976155. Registered November 29, 2016- Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02976155.

Adapting ERP Systems in the Post-implementation Stage: Dynamic IT Capabilities for ERP

Background: Firms recently rely on enterprise systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), to integrate, automate, and support business strategy and operations. However, uncertain environments require firms continuously adapt their ERP systems to meet changing business demands in the post-implementation stage. What capability can drive ERP post-implementation adaptation (PIA) deserves further research. Based on the dynamic capabilities view, we propose that dynamic IT capabilities for ERP, namely IT sensing, IT learning, IT integration, and IT coordination capability, can drive ERP-PIA. Method: A cross-sectional and matched-pair mail survey of both business and IS executives was administrated for collecting data from the top 1,000 manufacturing firms in Taiwan. Partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was constructed for measurement validation and hypotheses testing. Results: Based on 128 samples (74 firms), our findings demonstrate the importance of the dynamic IT capabilities for achieving higher levels of ERP-PIA. ERP-PIA can facilitate greater organizational benefits from system use. Conclusions: This study conceptualizes and empirically demonstrates the importance of ERP-PIA, which provides a specific example of IT/IS adaptation. This study also conceptualizes dynamic IT capabilities for ERP, and theorizes how these capabilities interact to enable firms to adapt ERP systems to fulfill the emergent demands. This study improvs the understanding of the roles of dynamic IT capabilities for ERP in enabling ERP-PIA and organizational benefits through a richer theoretical framing than that of prior studies.

A knowledgebase to promote self-directed learning among postgraduate trainees of MSc in Biomedical Informatics degree program in University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Biomedical Informatics degree program was formulated by the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo to develop medical professionals with digital health competencies to help the digital reforms in Sri Lankan health sector. Medical professionals are expected to have lifelong learning for professional development and for being up to date where Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is considered pivotal. Knowledgebase which includes document repository and discussion forum provides the platform for improving SDL related to biomedical informatics body of knowledge, facilitating collaborative learning and allowing long term knowledge management. Methods: Participatory action research was conducted among the postgraduate (Pg.) trainees who currently enrolled and completed the biomedical informatics degree program. Knowledgebase, a web-based SDL platform using Flask (Python) micro framework was introduced as the intervention and its development was guided by the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) model. Validated questionnaires were used as data collection tools. The analysis was done with the pre-implementation stage questionnaire by assessing the SDL practices and requirements for the knowledgebase. The evaluation was done on the knowledgebase users with post-implementation stage questionnaire including the Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) by Fisher et al. SDLR was assessed along with the improvement of SDL and the relationship of socio-demographics with SDLRS scores. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Ninety per cent out of 52 participants confirmed the need for a web-based SDL platform at the pre implementation stage. Internet and peers were the main resources used for SDL. Twenty-three (response rate=82%) knowledgebase users participated in the post implementation stage. Nineteen (82%) confirmed that the knowledgebase improved their SDL. Mean SDLRS score was 153.83 with highest for self-control (58.52) and lowest for self-management (45.74) subscales. Around 65% had high SDLRS scores (above 150 out of 200). Statistically significant (p Conclusions: High level of SDLR was present among the majority of the knowledgebase users which was known to enhance web-based learning. Knowledgebase platform was perceived to improve the SDL among the Pg. trainees, therefore, web-based learning will augment SDL. Attention should be paid to improve self-management among the Pg. trainees of the biomedical degree program to further improve SDL.

Post-Implementation Benefits and Challenges of the Balanced Scorecard: Evidence from the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Sector

The aim of this paper is to evaluate post implementation benefits and challenges of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) sector in Sri Lanka. The generic idea of the BSC presented by Norton and Kaplan in the year 1992, may not be universally appropriate to all companies, and as a result there may be challenges faced throughout and after the implementation process of this tool. Hence, this study will focus on specifically examining the benefits and challenges faced by FAO companies in the post-implementation stage and discharge strategies to overcome the identified challenges. The FAO sector is selected since there is a noticeable number of entities that seem to be facing difficulties in the post implementation stage of BSC resulting in either discontinuation of it or using haphazard practices. This study followed a quantitative approach and data were collected through questionnaires and document reviews. The study found that all respondents unanimously agreed on certain benefits, prevalent challenges and strategies to overcome identified challenges, for the success of the BSC. It was noted that while the BSC proves to deliver many benefits through its use, it may only be gained through careful implementation of the same. Also, it is important to consider many challenges prior to, during and after the course of the implementation and ensure that these are overcome through carefully devised strategies. Keywords : Balanced Scorecard, Benefits, Challenges, Strategies, Finance and Accounting Outsourcing, Sri Lanka DOI : 10.7176/RJFA/10-22-10 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Encouraging client’s knowledge sharing in enterprise system post-implementation through psychological contract and entrepreneurial orientation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between psychological contract and knowledge sharing behavior in the enterprise system (ES) post-implementation stage. The fulfillment and obligation of psychological contract are proposed as antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior performed by client firms. Additionally, entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is considered a moderator in the relationship between psychological contract and knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted the questionnaire survey to collect data from 132 client firms of a focal ES provider in the garment industry of China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for data analysis.FindingsPsychological contract fulfillment is negatively related to knowledge sharing, whereas the positive role of psychological contract obligation is supported. EOstrengthens the role of both psychological contract fulfillment and obligation in shaping knowledge sharing behavior of client firms.Originality/valueThis study adopts forward- and backward-looking approaches in decision making as a theoretical lens to investigate how to improve client firms’ knowledge sharing behavior through psychological contract. By figuring out the roles of psychological contract and EO in influencing knowledge sharing, this research benefits both vendor and client firms in maintaining sustainable collaboration and continuous improvement of ES projects.

ERP IMPLEMENTATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: PRODUCTIVITY AND USER’S UNDERSTANDING OF ERP CONCEPTS

Motivation/Background: The review of extant literature suggests that ERP Implementation in general and ERP post implementation scenario in particular, in higher education in Indian context appear to have been a less explored area. The review also shows that although two factors, namely, user’s understanding of ERP concepts and their productivity, appear to be important to the success of ERP during post implementation stage, there is a very little or no evidence of studies in this area. Motivated by the observation, this paper reports an empirical study on the association between the two factors, in ERP post-implementation stage, in higher education institutions, especially, in an Indian context.
 Method: The study employed a descriptive design to examine the research problem. A search of multiple journals was carried out using key words identified in an initial review of literature. Successive rounds of review of abstract of articles led to identification of a few studies, which were examined in details to identify the gaps. Subsequently, using a purposive sampling and a survey of target respondents, the primary data was collected and analysed. The hypothesis to address research problem were analysed and interpreted using chi square test of independence.
 Results: The most important finding of the study was lack of research focusing on relationship between two important factors impacting ERP post-implementation stage, in the chosen setting. The investigation showed that the two factors under study, were dependent on each other.
 Conclusion: The outcome of the analysis, besides contributing to the body of knowledge in the gap area, would also be of great use for going in depth on the influence of these factors during the ERP post-implementation stage, in higher education institutions, especially in the Indian context.

Business value of enterprise resource planning spending and scope

Purpose The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the value of post-implementation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system at the firm level. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 217 Malaysian firms that successfully implemented ERP system. Data analysis was conducted with partial least squares-structural equation modeling and partial least squares multi-group analysis techniques. Findings Higher ERP spending and greater ERP scope in the post-implementation stage were associated with higher performance gains. Research limitations/implications Among other limitations, relying on a small sample size and cross-sectional data of this study and lack of generalizability of findings tend to have certain limitations. An interesting direction for future research would be to extend this study by conducting a multi-level analysis to understand how ERP spending and scope would affect the micro-level performance. Practical implications Non-financial performance gain is another valuable outcome of ERP implementation. The choice between in-house and off-the-shelf ERP systems will have dramatic impacts on the future profitability of firms. ERP risk management team and related practices during implementation phase result in a significantly higher financial gain in the post-implementation phase. Originality/value This study assesses the business value of ERP at the post-implementation phase while accounting for key contextual and managerial issues, a topic that has received little attention to date.

Factors affecting post-implementation success of enterprise resource planning systems: a perspective of business process performance

ABSTRACT The study investigates critical factors which are important to evaluate enterprise resource planning (ERP) in the post-implementation stage. A conceptual framework is proposed with a set of relevant hypotheses and a structural equation modeling is used to analyze the survey data using Smart-PLS package program. The results illustrate that post-implementation success factors are significant for assessing an overall impact of ERP post-implementation. Likewise, the possibility of business process performance is higher in a condition of when the systems are employed in a coordinated way. The findings may assist ERP professionals and developers in other countries for ERP implementation in future.

ERP Sand Clock Barriers and Antecedents Model: From the Lens of Task Technology Fit Theory

The deployment of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems worldwide has become an evidence of the unprecedented movement towards integration of information technologies. The importance of continuance usage during the post implementation stage should not be neglected as to secure an optimal advantages offered by ERP system, that is achieved through minimizing ERP system usage barriers. As such, successful implementation of an ERP system does not necessarily guarantee that the system will be comprehensively used or accepted by users of the system. ERP benefits can only be realised and sustained if users continue to have favourable experiences in using the system. While many previous studies have examined ERP system during the implementation phase, only a few have revealed barriers to ERP usage as well its antecedent factors during the post-implementation phase. The purpose of this paper is to determine ERP system usage barriers and unearth the root causes to the barriers. To achieve the aim, this research was guided by the ‘soft-positivism’ paradigm, a paradigm that combines elements of positivism and interpretivism. By using this paradigm, the investigator brought certain prior expectations to the data analysis which are consistent with positivist research and which also build rich explanations from the data, consistent with the interpretive assumption. Based upon the lens of Task Technology Fit theory, this study adopts a qualitative method using multiple case studies. Three Malaysian organisations that had implemented ERP were investigated by conducting 30 semi–structured interviews and reviewing archival records and documents. The interviews were guided by the research objectives. Data were analysed by using open and thematic coding.The finding indicated four major areas of ERP usage problems: system, data, and technical infrastructure and interface problems. Besides that, several antecedent factors to the problems were identified. These factors fall into four major categories: organisation, user, task and technology, and include lack of support from either external or internal expertise, lack of individual strength and limited technology affordance. The outcome of this study was encapsulated in the form of the ERP Sand Clock Barriers and Antecedents Model.The paper contributes to post-implementation ERP system literature by stressing the complex relationships between usage barriers and antecedent factors. By identifying the underlying causes of SAP usage barriers, it could become the motivating factor for individual users to undertake reflective feedback and to achieve extended use of the implemented ERP system.

The mediating role of knowledge integration model for enterprise systems success

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically demonstrate how knowledge management, particularly knowledge integration (KI), acts as a mediator in enterprise systems (ES) post-implementation stage and how transactional and transformational leadership styles are impacted toward ES success.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the insights of 508 valid respondents from various business backgrounds that used ES in Malaysia, structural equation modeling was employed and the path modeling approach was used to investigate the underlying relationships between variables. The mediating effects were tested using the bootstrapping procedures presented by Preacher and Hayes.FindingsThe results support the mediating effects of KI mechanisms and both leadership styles toward ES success. The analysis revealed the importance of KI in an organization, especially by the leaders who manage the complexity of the ES in the post-implementation stage.Research limitations/implicationsThe study can be extended by analyzing other leadership styles in-detail.Practical implicationsThis paper is useful for practitioners as it acts as a guide to conduct management practice for business managers.Originality/valueThe results demonstrate the importance of leaders’ adoption of KI mechanisms in various business domains. This study approach can be used to investigate which sub-items of the leadership styles are more likely to promote KI mechanisms.

ERP Sand Clock Barriers and Antecedents Model: From the Lens of Task Technology Fit Theory.

The deployment of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems worldwide has become an evidence of the unprecedented movement towards integration of information technologies. The importance of continuance usage during the post implementation stage should not be neglected as to secure an optimal advantages offered by ERP system, that is achieved through minimizing ERP system usage barriers. As such, successful implementation of an ERP system does not necessarily guarantee that the system will be comprehensively used or accepted by users of the system. ERP benefits can only be realised and sustained if users continue to have favourable experiences in using the system. While many previous studies have examined ERP system during the implementation phase, only a few have revealed barriers to ERP usage as well its antecedent factors during the post-implementation phase. The purpose of this paper is to determine ERP system usage barriers and unearth the root causes to the barriers. To achieve the aim, this research was guided by the ‘soft-positivism’ paradigm, a paradigm that combines elements of positivism and interpretivism. By using this paradigm, the investigator brought certain prior expectations to the data analysis which are consistent with positivist research and which also build rich explanations from the data, consistent with the interpretive assumption. Based upon the lens of Task Technology Fit theory, this study adopts a qualitative method using multiple case studies. Three Malaysian organisations that had implemented ERP were investigated by conducting 30 semi–structured interviews and reviewing archival records and documents. The interviews were guided by the research objectives. Data were analysed by using open and thematic coding.The finding indicated four major areas of ERP usage problems: system, data, and technical infrastructure and interface problems. Besides that, several antecedent factors to the problems were identified. These factors fall into four major categories: organisation, user, task and technology, and include lack of support from either external or internal expertise, lack of individual strength and limited technology affordance. The outcome of this study was encapsulated in the form of the ERP Sand Clock Barriers and Antecedents Model.The paper contributes to post-implementation ERP system literature by stressing the complex relationships between usage barriers and antecedent factors. By identifying the underlying causes of SAP usage barriers, it could become the motivating factor for individual users to undertake reflective feedback and to achieve extended use of the implemented ERP system.

Competitive Intelligence Systems in Practice: Investigating Main Issues and Challenges Regarding Acceptance and Usage Behavior

Gathering information about competitors and understanding their position is a key issue for any organization. The objective of this paper is to identify the main internal issues when it comes to dealing with Competitive Intelligence Systems (CIS) acceptance and usage behavior. We apply the exploratory research method of grounded theory to analyze a CI System of a large industrial company. At a practical level, our study aims at helping managers understanding the important features related to CIS in the postimplementation stage. At a theoretical level, the aim is to address a gap by explain the several relationships between the different categories of contributing actors and identifying the major problems they face after implementing a CIS. Our study identifies 3 main emergent issues in terms of:1. Internal visibility of the system, 2. Legitimacy and recognition by the management 3. System’s technology adoption and use. Results are discussed and managerial implications are addressed.

Determination of micro and medium enterprises development needs based on business characteristics in Dolly

Dolly ex-red light district area is one of the areas that contribute significantly in GDP Surabaya City is the ex-red light district of Dolly. The closure of Dolly ex-red light district by Surabaya City Government made the economy region is declining. The purpose of community service activities is to determine the community needs in developing Dolly MSMEs (Micro Small Medium Enterprises) based on business characteristics. Methods in the implementation of this community service program include the preliminary stage of field survey conducted in the area of research, mapping of MSME locations, interviews and identification of initial problems that exist in the local economic activities in the area ex-red light district Dolly, the implementation phase of potential mapping, problems and find the proposed needs Community by using participatory mapping. And the post-implementation stage is training and workshop and monitoring and evaluation. The output of this activity is the color training for Jarak Arum batik, job management training and financial management for each MSME, textile printing training and comparative study for SMEs Textile printing and SMEs shoes, marketing training for all types of MSMEs in the Dolly ex-red light district. The expected outcome is community commitment to keep developing MSMEs.

Post-implementation analysis: dependence and trust in VMI context

PurposeMore than two decades long technological improvements in information sharing have not yet ensured a flawless execution of vendor managed inventory (VMI) and left interested parties wondering about the reasons of poor results. Although VMI is a collaborative tool, the relational factors in a VMI setting have not received enough attention due to challenges in obtaining relational buyer-supplier data in addition to extant focus on analytical approaches. The purpose of this paper is to investigate post-implementation relational factors in order to extract relevant insights.Design/methodology/approachAccounting for the duration of the VMI relationship, the authors focus on two dimensions of VMI often ignored post-implementation: dependence of the buyer on the VMI-supplier and trust of the buyer in the VMI-supplier. Cross-sectional data were collected using a survey collected from distributors mostly in auto and electrical supply industries, which have their inventories managed by manufacturers through VMI arrangements. The sample was obtained from a leading third-party VMI-platform service provider that serves thousands of distributor-manufacturer locations with billions of dollars in sales orders. Multiple ordinary least squares regression has been used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThis paper provides empirical support that in the post-implementation stage, longer VMI relationships are associated with higher distributor dependence on the manufacturer. In addition, too much dependence could actually hurt the distributor’s trust in the manufacturer.Practical implicationsThe authors propose that distributors maintain some of the purchasing and inventory management skills in house to limit their dependencies on the manufacturers. Manufacturers should also invest in trust-building activities, such as regular communications with distributors.Originality/valueThis is the first study providing empirical evidence on the positive association between length of VMI relationship and buyer dependence on the supplier, and curvilinear dependence-trust link in a post-implementation VMI context.