Enterprise Systems and Innovations

Abstract

Die Dis cus si on Pape rs die nen einer mög lichst schnel len Ver brei tung von neue ren For schungs arbei ten des ZEW. Die Bei trä ge lie gen in allei ni ger Ver ant wor tung der Auto ren und stel len nicht not wen di ger wei se die Mei nung des ZEW dar.Dis cus si on Papers are inten ded to make results of ZEW research prompt ly avai la ble to other eco no mists in order to encou ra ge dis cus si on and sug gesti ons for revi si ons. The aut hors are sole ly respon si ble for the con tents which do not neces sa ri ly repre sent the opi ni on of the ZEW.Download this ZEW Discussion Paper from our ftp server:ftp://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp09086.pdf This paper studies the relationship between enterprise systems and firms' innovational performance. Non-technical summaryThe analysis is based on a knowledge production function and employs a two step estimation procedure which takes into account the bias due to potential self selection during the firms' decision to innovate. The basis of the analysis builds a German enterprise data set, containing enterprises of different industry branches from the manufacturing and service sector.The results are twofold. On the one hand, adoption of ERP and SCM systems increases the propensity to realize process innovations. In addition, ERP system usage positively affects the number of realized process innovations. These impacts are not only short-term based, in fact they remain stable during two to four years. On the other hand, only CRM influences firms' product innovational performance as it increases the propensity to acquire product innovations, although this positive effect is only short-term based. Das Wichtigste in Kürze

Enterprise Software and Service Innovation: Standardization Versus Customization

“…In general, enterprise software can be roughly categorized in three types: generic applications, business sector specific software packages and lastly software specifically designed or customized for a single firm. Possible impacts of unspecific generic enterprise software systems, like, e.g., enterprise resource planning, on innovation and firm performance are already covered in the literature 7 . The potential impacts of sector specific or customized enterprise software, however, are missing completely at the moment.…”