Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have emerged as the core of successful information management and the enterprise backbone of organizations. The difficulties of ERP implementations have been widely cited in the literature but research on the critical factors for initial and ongoing ERP implementation success is rare and fragmented. Through a comprehensive review of the literature, 11 factors were found to be critical to ERP implementation success – ERP teamwork and composition; change management program and culture; top management support; business plan and vision; business process reengineering with minimum customization; project management; monitoring and evaluation of performance; effective communication; software development, testing and troubleshooting; project champion; appropriate business and IT legacy systems. The classification of these factors into the respective phases (chartering, project, shakedown, onward and upward) in Markus and Tanis’ ERP life cycle model is presented and the importance of each factor is discussed.

ERP Implementation: Chief Information Officers' Perceptions of Critical Success Factors

This article reports the results of a survey of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) from Fortune 1000 companies on their perceptions of the critical success factors in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. Through a review of the literature, 11 critical success factors were identified , with underlying subfactors, for successful ERP implementation. The degree of criticality of each of these factors were assessed in a survey administered to the CIOs. The 5 most critical factors identified by the CIOs were top management support, project champion, ERP teamwork and composition, project management, and change management program and culture. The importance of each of these factors is discussed.

The value of mobile applications: a utility company study

Mobile and wireless devices are enabling organizations to conduct business more effectively. Mobile applications can be used to support e-commerce with customers and suppliers, and to conduct e-business within and across organizational boundaries. Despite these benefits, organizations and their customers still lack an understanding of the value of mobile applications. Value is defined here as the principles for evaluating the consequences of action, inaction, or decision [4]. The value proposition of mobile applications can be defined as the net value of the benefits and costs associated with the adoption and adaptation of mobile applications [2].

Strategic implications of mobile technology: A case study using Value-Focused Thinking

Abstract Mobile technology extends computing and the Internet into the wireless medium, and provides greater flexibility in communication, collaboration, and information sharing. In this research, we used the ‘Value-Focused Thinking’ approach to examine the strategic implications of mobile technology in a leading publishing company. The result is a means-ends objective network that depicts the fundamental objectives of using mobile technology and how the fundamental objectives can be achieved through means objectives. The research findings suggest three main strategic implications of mobile technology: (1) improve working process; (2) increase internal communication and knowledge sharing; and (3) enhance sales and marketing effectiveness.

3-D Virtual Worlds in Education: Applications, Benefits, Issues, and Opportunities

Three-dimensional virtual world environments are providing new opportunities to develop engaging, interactive experiences in education. These virtual worlds are unique in that they allow individuals to interact with others through their avatars and with objects in the environment, and can create experiences that are not necessarily possible in the real world. To assess the impact that these virtual worlds are currently having on education, a literature review is conducted to identify current applications, benefits being realized, as well as issues faced. Based on this review, virtual world capabilities, experiences, and factors associated with educational opportunities are presented as well as gaps in meeting pedagogical objectives. Practical and research implications are then addressed. Virtual worlds are proving to provide unique educational experiences, with its potential only at the cusp of being explored.

U‐commerce: emerging trends and research issues

Ubiquitous commerce or u‐commerce is the combination of traditional e‐commerce and wireless, television, voice and silent commerce. U‐commerce implies ubiquity, universality, uniqueness and unison. It is not a replacement for other types of commerce, but an extension of them. While bringing many benefits, there are challenges and impediments to overcome. Research is needed to assess the value of u‐commerce and to address its related issues and challenges. Questions that need to be addressed are: What is the value of u‐commerce? What are the ways to maximize the benefits and value of u‐commerce? Is it the right technology and what directions need to be considered? What are the privacy issues and risks involved? What about trust and security? What are the strategies for businesses in utilizing and implementing u‐commerce? The research issues presented in this article will help create a better understanding of u‐commerce and prepare us for challenges facing it.

Acceptable internet use policy

Surveying use policies of three organizations--- educational institutions, ISPs, and non-ISPs.

Characterisitics of ERP software maintenance: a multiple case study

A multiple case study approach was employed to identify maintenance activities pertaining to enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, classify them into maintenance categories, and assess their relative frequency at various stages of the ERP maintenance lifecycle. Five maintenance categories (corrective, adaptive, perfective, preventive, user support) were identified from a review of the literature on software maintenance. A new category pertaining to ‘communication, coordination and knowledge exchange with external parties’ and herein labeled ‘external parties’ is introduced to highlight the supporting role of external parties in ERP maintenance. This category includes reporting problems to vendors and consultants, tracking their progress towards problem resolution, and coordinating work and relations with vendors, consultants, and external user-organizations. This study also highlights some differences between maintenance trends of ERP versus traditional systems. Copyright

Empirical Assessment of Factors Influencing Success of Enterprise Resource Planning Implementations

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in multinational manufacturing companies have experienced various degrees of success. This article investigates factors influencing the success of ERP implementations in multinational manufacturing companies in the Malaysian Free Trade Zone. The results indicate that enterprise-wide communication and a project management program are key factors influencing the success of ERP implementations, while other factors such as top management support as well as teamwork and composition are not as critical to the outcome. Organizational culture is a moderator of the relationships between enterprise-wide communication, a project management program, and the success of ERP implementations.

A qualitative investigation on consumer trust in mobile commerce

Mobile commerce represents a significant development in e-commerce, offering accessibility, ubiquity, mobility, and localisation to users. Despite the potential of mobile commerce, trust is a major obstacle in its adoption and development. Many consumers feel uncomfortable with the idea of conducting commerce over wireless, hand-held devices. The focus of this research is to understand trust in mobile commerce and to identify factors that are important for trust development. The research builds on Siau and Shens framework which depicts two key factors influencing trust in mobile commerce. This research not only validates and expands on the existing framework, but also provides an expanded conceptual model for future research.