Explaining the Challenges in ERP Development Networks with Triggers, Root Causes, and Consequences

Abstract

Many organizations still find it painful to implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Although ERP projects are collaborative efforts that many separate organizations conduct, academic research has not investigated ERPs fully from this perspective. To identify the challenges in ERP development networks (EDNs), we carried out an interpretive empirical study by using grounded theory to analyze data. After identifying 10 EDN challenges and analyzing the associations between the challenges further, we constructed a model that explains the challenges in ERP development networks. Relationship conflicts (root causes) create or reinforce one or more operational problems (consequences). Changes in the EDN structure initiate or reinforce the other two types. Whereas the existing literature has discussed ERP challenges mainly separately, we offer a more profound explanation of how they emerge and interrelate. Our findings aid practitioners in recognizing and focusing on the root causes of challenges rather than firefighting consequences. The findings can provide useful insights into collaborative and dynamic environments where multiple organizations interact.

Companions Growing Apart: Exploring Actors’ Perceptions with Narratives and Masterplots in ERP Systems Development

“…The underlying perceptions guided the individual actors' actions during the project [26]. When their contradictions manifested, the development problems emerged [17].…”

“…ERP development projects are famous for the system's customization difficulties, dilemmas in integrations, lack of business requirements understanding, insufficient change management, inadequate data quality, IT-business misalignments, budget ambiguities, and lack of managerial support [13]- [16]. Often these problems result from highly complex cooperation between the actors [17]. Too often a project, which was initially meant to be a straightforward system deployment, ends up with quickly escalating problems [18], [19].…”

“…Problems have been identified earlier. For example [14], [17], [20]- [23] all identify central issues. The majority of the ERP systems development projects' problems seem to arise from the collaboration between the actors [4], [17], [24], [25].…”

The perspective of national ERP vendors in achieving ERP project success in government organisations: a case of Saudi Arabia

“…In essence, the implementation of an ERP system is a socio-technically complex process the outcome of which is shaped and influenced by multi-dimensional stakeholders and business activities (Kähkönen, Alanne, Pekkola, & Smolander, 2017;McLeod & Doolin, 2012). The success of ERP implementation depends on the interplay between technology and human actions (Mueller, Mendling, & Bernroider, 2019).…”

The mediating role of knowledge integration model for enterprise systems success

“…Although ES is implemented by organizations to gain competitive advantage (Lokuge and Sedera, 2018; Sedera and Lokuge, 2017), there is a huge risks of failure during the implementation stage or in the post-implementation stage (Sedera et al , 2016; Tan et al , 2016; Wang et al , 2016). Many organizations have suffered significant losses in the post-implementation stage due to various factors (Kähkönen et al , 2017; Lokuge and Sederam 2014a). The most significant factor is the lack of support from the leadership of the organization (Ali and Miller, 2017; Lokuge, Sedera, Atapattu and Samaranayaka, 2016).…”