This paper highlights the criticality of the 'End-Users' factor to the success or failure of the ERP venture. This descriptive case highlights the ineffectiveness of the current approaches to ERP end-users' "training and competency building", that are commonly applied in ERP implementations. We propose as an alternative, a new structured approach that redefines the traditional role of "ERP Training" from isolated implementation project activities concerned with introducing end-users to "how to" use ERP applications to an integral part of a comprehensive "knowledge & change management" strategy that advocates a holistic life-cycle approach to managing ERP Critical Success Factors (CSF).The investigation benefits from the "iceberg competency model", the "training management cycle", and "Kirk-Patrik's evaluation model" as the theoretical basis and context for drawing a comparison of the suitability and effectiveness of training approaches adopted in major ERP implementations in UAE. The proposed approach, which is built around 'end-user characterization' as the main input into 'competency building' is flexible enough to plug into standard ERP methodologies and may be projected throughout the ERP life-cycle. The end-users characterization and competency building approach (EUCCB) is expected to contribute to healthy levels of ERP usage and utilization that leads to positive business gains and return on investment.
Interest in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Arab world has started to take different strides for many reasons. This growing endorsement of ICT is primarily attributed to economic and social development factors, and is driven by the aim to transform Arab society to a knowledge based society. Such an endeavor could be successfully achieved only through effective creation, adoption and innovation of the technology. This chapter examines the extant literature on ICT in the Arab world in order to glean the level of ICT investment and acceptance, and to attempt to understand the interplay of cultural practices and values on the successful implementations of ICT initiatives. The Arab countries are undergoing major development that is expected to culminate in tangible growth in many areas, attract the attention and interest of both businesses and researchers. This chapter also sets the scene and lays the foundation for the ICT discussions and investigations in the rest of the chapters of the textbook.
An overwhelming number of Information Technology (IT) projects experience persistent problems and failures. This chapter reflects on some of the important aspects of IT Project Management as applied to the implementation and post-implementation of Enterprise Information Systems and ERP applications. The proposition is based on the author’s professional experience as a system consultant, a manager and an educator. It also echoes some of the important findings of a major action research undertaken by the author over seven years, where he had a dual role as a project resource and a researcher, allowing him a first hand experience of enterprise applications issues and problems, culminating in a clear insight to why IT projects fail and how to overcome persisting inadequacies that lead to project failures. By investigating 25 major IT projects and analysing the variables that influence project performance, the research has successfully developed, tested and refined a hypothesised risk-based management model. With its components, processes, metrics and tools clearly defined and characterised, the Integrated Project-Risk Management (IPRM) model and system are presented as viable alternatives to conventional project management approaches and tools.
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