An institutional perspective on sources of ERP package–organisation misalignments

Organisations often appear to be unaware of fundamental differences that exist between their organisational context and that which is assumed by ERP package developers. This has undermined expected benefits from ERP implementation, and in extreme cases of package-organisational misalignment, has led to project and even organisational failure.In this study, we explain package-organisational misalignments as the result of differences between the structures embedded in the package and those embedded in the organisation. These differences reflect the different institutional context of the package developers and implementing organisation. Some organisational structures are imposed while other structures are voluntarily adopted. The organisation has less control in the case of imposed structures and misalignments associated with imposed structures are therefore more likely to be resolved through package customization.We apply the framework to three hospitals implementing the same ERP package, identify the structural sources of the misalignments, and analyze the relationship to the type of resolution (package customization or organisational adaptation). We found that imposed structures were indeed overwhelmingly resolved through package customization, while most voluntarily acquired structures were resolved via organisational adaptation. We identified the different context specific sources for these structural differences and contribute to the research on ERP implementation, institutional theory, as well as draw implications for practice in managing package–organisation misalignments.     

Impact of an ERP system’s capabilities upon the realisation of its business value: a resource-based perspective

Using the resource-based view as a frame of reference, this study seeks to explore the potential link between the essential characteristics of an ERP system, defined as ERP capabilities, and its contribution to organisational performance. This contribution is conceptualised and measured through the value added by automational, informational and transformational effects of ERP capabilities upon the firm??s operational and managerial processes. Empirical data were obtained for the study??s purpose from three case studies of manufacturing firms, through 25 in-depth interviews of various managers, including the firm??s CIO. In addition to proposing an instrument to characterise an ERP system ??as installed?? in terms of three capabilities (ERP integration, ERP flexibility, ERP transversality), the study confirms that these capabilities are crucial in determining the contribution of an ERP system to organisational performance. The study also highlights different ERP effects on organisational processes and their relative importance in providing business value. While exploratory in nature, this study derives interesting implications from the data analysis in the form of propositions that may serve as research hypotheses in future studies.     

Formal modelling of organisational goals based on performance indicators

Every organisation exists or is created for the achievement of one or more goals. To ensure continued success, the organisation should monitor its performance with respect to the formulated goals. In practice the performance of an organisation is often evaluated by estimating its performance indicators. In most existing approaches for organisation modelling the relation between performance indicators and goals remains implicit. This paper proposes a formal framework for modelling goals based on performance indicators and defines mechanisms for establishing goal satisfaction, which enable evaluation of organisational performance. Methodological and analysis issues related to goals are also discussed in the paper. The described framework is a part of a general framework for organisation modelling and analysis.     

Integrating ERP using EAI: a model for <Emphasis Type="Italic">post hoc</Emphasis> evaluation

In recent years there has been an increased focus on improving the capability and flexibility of organisational information systems through improving, and where necessary, re-engineering inter- and intra-organisational information flows. In doing so, many firms have realised that the cornerstone of their information systems capability is dependent upon core systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). In realising this, it has forced businesses to acknowledge the need to integrate ERP systems with existing disparate legacy systems. Technology solutions such as Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) have been seen as a panacea to facilitate integration through the use of technologies that allow corporate IS subsystems to communicate with one another. In the context of using enterprise technologies to integrate ERP with other organisational business systems, this paper analyses and extends previously published work through presenting the failure of an industrial automation business to integrate its ERP system with legacy processes when using an EAI approach. In doing so, the authors present a post hoc evaluation model that can be used by others as a frame of reference; a tool for reflection. The presented model seeks to provide further insight to the failed approach to ERP integration, within the given case study organisation. This proposed model, is constructed in terms of Technical, Organisational and Tailorability components. It is anticipated that this will be a useful tool for both practitioners and academics, who wish to gain a deeper understanding of ERP/EAI implementation approaches, as well as providing insights into how the componentisation and extension of ERP functionalities can be achieved, towards so-called ERPII.     

A strategic activity model of Enterprise System implementation and use: Scaffolding fluidity

This paper builds on a Strategic Activity Framework (Jarzabkowski, 2005) and activity based theories of development (Vygotsky, 1978) to model how Enterprise Systems are used to support emerging strategy. It makes three contributions. Firstly, it links fluidity and extensiveness of system use to patterns of strategising. Fluidity – the ability to change system use as needs change – is supported by interactive strategising, where top managers communicate directly with the organisation. Extensiveness requires procedural strategising, embedding system use in structures and routines. Secondly, it relates interactive and procedural strategising to the importance of the system – procedural strategising is more likely to occur if the system is strategically important. Thirdly, using a scaffolding metaphor it identifies patterns in the activities of top managers and Enterprise System custodians, who identify process champions within the organisational community, orient them towards system goals, provide guided support, and encourage fluidity through pacing implementation with learning.     

Evaluation and the failure of control: Information systems development in the processing company

Methodologies for evaluating information systems have in general been geared to efficiency and/or effectiveness rather than an understanding of the function and nature of the evaluation process itself. One such function is organisational control. As we understand an information system through the lens provided by a particular evaluation, we are shown a way of designing and managing the information system in accordance with a particular perspective. But the procedures of formal evaluation are elements in an evaluation process that is inextricably linked with the wider organisational context. The informal assessments by which individuals interpret and make sense of their circumstances form an important component of this context. The control strategy will be subverted if it does not take account of the “informal” interpretations excluded from consideration by “formal” evaluation. Informed by the modernist project of formal evaluation, organisation control becomes a vicious circle. The successive stages of information systems evaluation in the Processing Company illustrate these ideas and suggest some implications for systems development.     

Determining ERP customization choices using nominal group technique and analytical hierarchy process

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is an information system that supports and integrates many facets of a business. A critical issue in ERP implementation is how to bridge the gap between the ERP system and an organization's business processes by customizing either the system, or the business processes of the organization, or both. Literature review shows that customization is a major hindrance in most of the ERP implementation projects. This research applies nominal group technique (NGT) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) techniques to Luo and Strong's framework to help organizations determine feasible customization choices for their ERP implementation initiatives. A case study is presented to illustrate its applicability in practice. The study has theoretical and practical implications for our understanding of ERP implementation process.     

CAVEAT Exemplar: Participatory Design in a Non-Profit Volunteer Organisation

This paper reports a university course-based case study undertaken with a volunteer organisation. Our goals were to explore the use of participatory design in a non-profit volunteer setting; to reflect on the experience of learning and applying participatory methodologies; and to create a prototype, using off-the-shelf database software, that could become a sustainable organisational information system. We found system design methodologies that stress cooperation and consensus especially appropriate when working with volunteers, who expect control over their work in exchange for their time and effort. The Future Workshop was particularly valuable in developing group insight into work and consensus around system priorities. The study resulted in a prototype which has evolved, through in-house refinement, into a working system.     

Factors affecting employees' knowledge-sharing behaviour in the virtual organisation from the perspectives of well-being and organisational behaviour

Drawing on the concept of organisational behaviour, this research augments the concepts of social capital theory and organisational culture with one pioneering precursor and mediator, the sense of well-being, to develop an integrative understanding of the factors affecting individuals' knowledge-sharing behaviour within the more complex context of the virtual organisation of Taiwanese Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs). A field survey of 131 employees from the selected virtual organisation was analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the outcomes empirically. Our research offers a persuasive body of evidence supporting the notion that increasing employees' sense of well-being can successfully form a bridge that can connect social capital tendency, organisational culture and employees' knowledge-sharing behaviour. Surprisingly, and contrary to common belief, the integrated model shows that social capital tendency seems to play a more important role than organisational culture in affecting employees' sense of well-being within the virtual organisation in a Chinese cultural context. Consequently, this research reveals the subtle interplay of employees' sense of well-being, social capital tendency, organisational culture and knowledge-sharing behaviour, while the in-depth analysis provides strong support for knowledge management research and practice.     

Towards Intelligent Organisational Information Systems

It has been argued in the literature that although specific types of computer-based information systems (CBIS) are powerful tools in certain parts of the decision-making processes in modern organisations, none of them provides integrated support. This lack becomes even more acute when one considers the operation of CBIS within an organisational setting where consistent assistance of a multitude of users in different departments is required, together with facilities for modelling such features as cooperation, conflict, negotiation, etc. On the other hand, there are indications that the incorporation of abilities such as perception, interpretation, reasoning, explanation, goal-setting, and learning in computer-aided support would greatly enhance the aforementioned decision-making processes. This paper reviews the evolution of CBIS, and attempts to synthesise current research towards the goal of competent and intelligent aiding of decision-making in organisational settings. The main argument of the paper is that decision-making functions in multi-participant organisations can be facilitated by the use of intelligent software entities with autonomous processing capabilities which possess coordination and negotiation facilities and are organised in distributed, hierarchical societies. This paper presents a conceptual definition of these entities, outlines their structural characteristics, and describes a framework for research towards their development.     

ERP系统架构的设计与实现

ERP即企业资源计划，是可以处理一个企业中几乎所有的经营管理任务的一种管理信息系统。该文采用De1phi作为开发工具，在C／S的N层体系结构基础上提出并实现了一种全新的ERP系统架构，并用于南汽集团的ERP系统之中，实践应用表明该架构是可行并有效的。     

面向中小型企业计划管理系统的研究与开发

通过对ERP(企业资源管理计划)的研究,结合现阶段我国中小型企业的特点,采用ERP中先进的企业计划管理理念,开发出适用于中小型企业的计划管理系统.该系统既能适合中小型企业的管理特点,又能大大减少实施的费用和风险.     

Identifying Seekers and Suppliers in Social Media Communities to Support Crisis Coordination

Effective crisis management has long relied on both the formal and informal response communities. Social media platforms such as Twitter increase the participation of the informal response community in crisis response. Yet, challenges remain in realizing the formal and informal response communities as a cooperative work system. We demonstrate a supportive technology that recognizes the existing capabilities of the informal response community to identify needs (seeker behavior) and provide resources (supplier behavior), using their own terminology. To facilitate awareness and the articulation of work in the formal response community, we present a technology that can bridge the differences in terminology and understanding of the task between the formal and informal response communities. This technology includes our previous work using domain-independent features of conversation to identify indications of coordination within the informal response community. In addition, it includes a domain-dependent analysis of message content (drawing from the ontology of the formal response community and patterns of language usage concerning the transfer of property) to annotate social media messages. The resulting repository of annotated messages is accessible through our social media analysis tool, Twitris. It allows recipients in the formal response community to sort on resource needs and availability along various dimensions including geography and time. Thus, computation indexes the original social media content and enables complex querying to identify contents, players, and locations. Evaluation of the computed annotations for seeker-supplier behavior with human judgment shows fair to moderate agreement. In addition to the potential benefits to the formal emergency response community regarding awareness of the observations and activities of the informal response community, the analysis serves as a point of reference for evaluating more computationally intensive efforts and characterizing the patterns of language behavior during a crisis.     

Core task modelling in cultural assessment: a case study in nuclear power plant maintenance

This article aims at illustrating the use of core task modelling on a system level and attempts to show its relevance to cultural assessment. The methodology that was used in a case study consists of an iterative process of core task modelling, organisational culture research and organisational assessment. The case study was conducted in a nuclear power plant's (NPP's) maintenance department. The maintenance task, its goals, critical demands and the demands for the working practices were conceptualised by core task analysis. The organisational culture of the maintenance department was explored with interviews, a survey and workgroups. The results show three critical demands and three instrumental demands to be controlled on all levels in the organisation. The maintenance culture must support the activity of balancing between these distinct requirements. The core task model was used in assessing the characteristics of the maintenance culture. This was done through analysing the unity of the personnel's conceptions concerning the organisation, its tasks, goals and values. The relevance of this approach to organisational development is discussed.     

Organisations going virtual

This paper deals with the different meanings given to the concept of virtual organisation. A typology developed by Campbell, consisting of four forms of virtual organisation, is presented. We illustrate this categorisation with practical examples. We will explain why we use the term virtual organising rather than virtual organisation. Our conclusion is that organisations planning to go virtual have to make technological and organisational decisions that are intertwined at a strategic level, resulting in a specific sociotechnical configuration of virtual organising.     

Commodity or competitive advantage? Analysis of the ERP value paradox

A true e-business enabled firm needs the support from a well-tuned enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for providing real time data. However, many companies complain that after their huge investments in ERP systems, they found the ERP systems do not bring them new orders, new profits, or competitive advantage as ERP vendors claim. Academic studies also found mixed results regarding ERP’s payoff. In line with resource based view (RBV), the study proposes an integrated model to shed light on the ERP value paradox. We try to answer “With what organizational resources and by building what firm specific capabilities, the investment in ERP systems may bring firms competitive advantage”. Using a sample of 150 ERP and e-business adopters in the US, we found that (1) organizational resources such as managerial skills and organizational change management play a more important role than IT resources (ERP, e-Business technologies) in generating business integration capability. (2) However, neither IT resources nor organizational resources directly provide firms with competitive advantage. Instead, business integration capability built from the two resources plays a mediating role through which business achieves competitive advantage.     

Identification and classification of ERP critical failure factors in Iranian industries

Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) is a complex and costly process, which usually results in serious failures. The majority of previous studies and research projects have been conducted in identifying ERP Critical Success Factors (CSFs) rather than Critical Failure Factors (CFFs). On the other hand, most studies have been devoted to developed countries, while in developing countries, many companies have moved towards using such systems. The majority of IT/IS management standards and guidelines have been developed by technologically-leading countries. But developing countries, which mostly confront with especial challenges, have a different condition from the implicit assumptions of leading countries. Iran is one of these countries that many of its ERP implementation projects led to failure. There is no comprehensive study that identifies ERP CFFs in Iranian industries. The main purpose of this study is to identify such factors and classify them to help other industries, consultants and implementers to prevent failures in the implementation of ERP projects. So, at first, with the semi structured interviews and literature reviews, 47 failure factors were identified. After that a questionnaire developed and sent to ERP project team members in Iranian industries that failed in their ERP projects. Robust Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) has been used for data analysis, which finally classified critical failure factors in seven groups named as vendor and consultant, human resources, managerial, project management, processes, organizational and technical. The results of this study have provided a very useful reference for scholars and managers to identify the relevant issues of ERP projects failure in developing countries.     

Critical success factors for ERP implementation in SMEs

ERP implementation is regarded as complex, cumbersome and costly, and, very often, it exceeds the initial estimated resources. The process involves a thorough examination of the business processes in the organisation; selection of the best available software solution that matches the requirements of the enterprise; configuration of the selected systems;, training of staff; and customisation of the selected software solutions including development of required interfaces. Finally, the existing MIS of the organisation is replaced totally or partially by the new system. All the implementation processes should be carried out without affecting the daily operations across the whole enterprise. This can only be achieved by having an understanding of the key elements forming the infrastructure of the organisation, an effective plan for the implementation and an effective procedure to measure and evaluate the project throughout the implementation process. This paper presents the results of a study to identify and analyse the interrelationships of the critical issues involved in the implementation of ERP in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Three basic research questions were addressed. First, what are the main critical success factors? Second, how do these factors interact throughout the implementation process? Third, which factors have their highest impact and in what stages? In order to answer these questions, over 50 relevant papers were critically reviewed to identify the main critical success factors (CSFs) for ERP implementation in large organisations. Then, the applicability of the identified CSFs to SMEs was investigated. Next, an industrial survey was also undertaken to identify which CSF has highest impact in what stages. The findings on relationships of the critical success factors have been utilised to develop a tool to monitor, and eventually improve, ERP implementations for SMEs. In the development of the tool, eight people from industry and academia with experience of ERP implementations were interviewed with the aim of validating the model being developed. The overall results provide useful pointers to the interplay of organisational and operational factors for the successful implementation of ERP.     

基于插件技术的VWESA平台的研究与设计

针对当前企业资源计划(ERP)系统在中小型企业实施成本高、失败率高、个性化需求无法得到满足的问题,提出了基于Eclipse插件技术的ERP系统开发平台—VWESA.该平台按照面向服务架构(SOA)规范对企业业务流程及其功能进行小粒度服务抽取,并使用页面编辑环境和ERP-BPEL(业务流程执行语言)进行业务流程建模,最终由平台的解释引擎解释、生成基于Web service的ERP Web系统.经实践证明,采用本平台来构建符合企业个性化需求的ERP系统所需的开发时间比传统开发方式大幅度减少、开发效率大幅度提高,开发的灵活性更强;本平台适合用于个性化需求多变的中小型企业的ERP系统开发.