Ben Light

A critical success factors model for ERP implementation

An effective IT infrastructure can support a business vision and strategy; a poor, decentralized one can break a company. More and more companies are turning to off-the-shelf ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions for IT planning and legacy systems management. The authors have developed a framework to help managers successfully plan and implement an ERP project.

A stage maturity model for enterprise resource planning systems use

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems dominate the information technology landscape of many companies. Organizations are at different stages in the implementation process ranging from the initial analysis of implementation options, through completed standard implementations and to the sophisticated exploitation of ERP systems using advanced knowledge management, customer relationship management and supply chain management systems. The authors present a maturity model for ERP systems that identifies three stages and this is illustrated using case data selected from the study which is based on 24 organizations in the US and Europe. In Stage 1, organizations are managing legacy systems and starting the ERP project. In Stage 2, implementation is complete and the functionality of the ERP system is being exploited across the organization. In Stage 3, organizations have normalised the ERP system into the organization and are engaged in the process of obtaining strategic value from the system by using additional systems such as customer relationship management, knowledge management and supply chain planning. It is shown that the organizations follow an S-shaped curve, and that most companies are in the middle stage. An analysis of the implications for organizations at each stage of the maturity model is presented which will be of value to practising managers. The implications are categorised as impacts on cost, entropy, complexity, flexibility and strategic competitiveness.

Enterprise resource planning: a business approach to systems development

Systems development methodologies have evolved from technical approaches through to a people/organisational focus and more recently an increased emphasis on business process reengineering (BPR) has been witnessed. This evolution reflects both the increasing maturity of information technology and also the business outlook of firms seeking to use IT for competitive advantage. In this paper we argue that system development is now entering a new phase of maturity with the advent of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software packages. ERP systems are integrated, enterprise wide systems which automate core corporate activities such as manufacturing, human resource, finance and supply chain management. From case study research, it is shown that ERP implementations have different types of problems compared with traditional software development methods. These centre on the alignment of business processes with the standard Software package and the project management of the implementation process. It is argued that ERP is a departure from traditional approaches to system development. It therefore requires a different approach that places less emphasis on the technical aspects of software development and instead seeks to balance the business process design, software configuration and project management aspects of IT implementation with the overall strategy and structure of the firm. Future research opportunities are outlined.

Going beyond 'misfit' as a reason for ERP package customisation

In an attempt to deal with the potential problems presented by existing information systems, a shift towards the implementation of ERP packages has been witnessed. The common view, particularly the one espoused by vendors, is that ERP packages are most successfully implemented when the standard model is adopted. Yet, despite this, customisation activity still occurs reportedly due to misalignment between the functionality of the package and the requirements of those in the implementing organisation. However, it is recognised that systems development and organisational decision-making are activities influenced by the perspectives of the various groups and individuals involved in the process. Thus, as customisation can be seen as part of systems development, and has to be decided upon, it should be thought about in the same way. In this study, two ERP projects are used to examine different reasons why customisation might take place. These reasons are then built upon through reference to the ERP and more general packaged software literature. The study suggests that whilst a common reason for customising ERP packages might be concerned with functionality misfits, it is important to look further into why these may occur, as there are clearly other reasons for customisation stemming from the multiplicity of social groups involved in the process.

Ethics and social networking sites: A disclosive analysis of Facebook

Purpose – This paper aims to provide insights into the moral values embodied by a popular social networking site (SNS), Facebook.Design/methodology/approach – This study is based upon qualitative fieldwork, involving participant observation, conducted over a two‐year period. The authors adopt the position that technology as well as humans has a moral character in order to disclose ethical concerns that are not transparent to users of the site.Findings – Much research on the ethics of information systems has focused on the way that people deploy particular technologies, and the consequences arising, with a view to making policy recommendations and ethical interventions. By focusing on technology as a moral actor with reach across and beyond the internet, the authors reveal the complex and diffuse nature of ethical responsibility and the consequent implications for governance of SNS.Research limitations/implications – The authors situate their research in a body of work known as disclosive ethics, and argue...

ERP and best of breed: a comparative analysis

The production of a very large tire by expanding the uncured unrestrained carcass of the tire to engage its crown region with the radially inward surface of a rigid circumferentially continuous centering ring. The ring and the uncured carcass together are transported from the carcass expanding location to the tire curing mold which is adapted to receive and locate the ring and carcass together so as to prevent the mid-circumferential region of the carcass from shifting out of symmetry with the mold. The ring forms a part of the mold for molding and curing the tire carcass. The inward surface of the ring is provided with a pattern of grooves and ridges; the method and apparatus disclosed are particularly useful in the manufacture of a cured tire carcass adapted to combine with an endless tread assembly cured apart from and independently of the tire carcass to make the complete tire. The foregoing abstract is not to be taken as limiting the invention of this application, and in order to understand the full nature and extent of the technical disclosure of this application, reference must be made to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description.

Potential pitfalls in packaged software adoption

Numerous organizational considerations influence packaged software purchasing.

A Case Study of a Fast Track SAP R/3 Implementation at Guilbert

This paper examines the approach of Guilbert, a European stationery company, which has chosen a fast track strategy towards implementation of enterprise resource planning.A b s t r a c t This paper examines the approach of Guilbert, a European stationery company , which has chosen a fast track strategy towards implementation of enterprise resource planning. A u t h o r s Nicola Gibson graduated from the University of Keele in management and computer sciences, where she subsequently gained her PhD for research into the quality of information in the National Health Service. Nicola is a research fellow at Manchester Business School, and her main research interests are the design and implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. working in product marketing for an IT firm, he joined Manchester Business School as ICL research associate. After lecturing at the IT Institute, University of Salford, Chris returned to MBS where he is Senior Lecturer in Information Management. His research interests are focused on a number of areas: information systems in global business; implementation of large-scale systems; new forms of organization and banking. He has published widely. He is chair of the IS in global business at the Hawaii International Conference on System Science, associate editor of Communications of the AIS and the International Journal of Electronic Markets. He regularly contributes to international academic and business conferences and has consulted with a wide range of international firms on IT strategy. The project is concerned with the strategies organizations employ to overcome legacy problems. Prior to embarking upon his academic career, Ben was employed in Human Resource Management. He has also undertaken consultancy and research within national and international firms.

Integration in ERP Environments: Rhetoric, Realities and Organisational Possibilities

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages are said to enable integration when the standard inscription is adhered to through software configuration. A social shaping perspective expands conceptualisations of ERP packages, enabling a view of them as configurational technologies. Thus, ERP integration is opened up and the integration through standardisation thesis is challenged.

Introducing Masculinity Studies to Information Systems research : the case of Gaydar

I believe that studies of mens gendered experiences of information systems are needed. In order to support this claim, I introduce the area of Masculinity Studies to Information Systems research and, using this, present an exploratory analysis of an internet dating website for gay men – Gaydar. The information system, which forms part of the Gaydar community, is shown to shape, and be shaped by the members as they accept and challenge aspects of it as related to their identities. In doing this, I show how the intertwined processes of information systems development and use contribute to the creation of diverse interpretations of masculinity within a group of men. In sum, my analysis highlights different kinds of men and different versions of masculinity that can sometimes be associated with different experiences of information systems. The implications of this work centre on the need to expand our knowledge of mens gendered experiences with information systems, to reflect upon processes of technology facilitated categorisation and to consider the influences that contribute to the roll out of particular software features along with the underlying rationales for market segmentation in the software and software-based services industries.