Abstract

1 Introduction

2 Literature review

3 Methodology used in research

4 Problem formulation

5 Proposed research methodology

6 Case study on ERP consultant selection problem

7 Sensitivity analysis

8 Discussion and conclusions

Declarations

References

Abstract

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects are risk prone due to software complexity, budget overruns, long duration, poor project delivery and a broad range of organization transformation processes. Companies are hiring experienced external consultants to achieve successful implementation of ERP system. Proper selection of ERP consultant is challenging task for any top management of organization because consultant fees accounts a major portion of project cost and this problem may be considered as Multi criteria decision-making problem. This article presents the hybrid approach of Fuzzy Analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) and COPRAS-G in selection process of ERP consultants. F-AHP is used to obtain the weight of selection criteria and COPRAS-G is used to get the final ranking of consultants based on utility degree. The proposed model is illustrated with a numerical example whose data has been collected from survey in Indian industries. Finally, sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the robustness of the approached. The result of F- AHP highlights that reputation, ERP project experience and partner of ERP vendor and cost is an important selection criterion for selecting consultant and rank reversal problem has been greatly reduced by COPRAS-G. This proposed hybrid technique is quite flexible and provides efficient decision making in the selection of an ERP consultant.

1 Introduction
Companies are investing huge amount in information technology systems so as to meet the challenges of business organizations and smooth flow of information in the industries. ERP is an advanced information technology tool which supports business functions and information flow of an organization in a single software system. Shadi et al. (2019) has defined ERP is an Information Technology (IT) business solution which enables Organizations and their Stakeholders for management of project effectively & efficiently throughout the lifecycle of project. Thus, ERP system is amalgamation of business, technology and human resource. Implementation of ERP system has been considered among the most challenging investment projects due to the high costs involved, complexity and higher duration (Yusuf et al. 2004). Continuous high failure rates of ERP projects are major concern in recent years. Aloini et al. (2007)

1- Introduction

2- Theoretical background

3- Hypotheses and research model

4- Methodology

5- Results and discussion of results

6- Academic implications

7- Managerial implications

8- Conclusions, limitations and future research

References

Abstract

Almost any firm faces a change during its life that requires a redefinition of the business model to be more innovative, namely business model innovation (BMI) that designs an architecture to create, capture and deliver value to customers in the marketplace and society. These changes are a great opportunity to improve revenue and costs, but the associated organizational complexity also has drawbacks, due to the set of interrelationships and linkages within the firm. This situation could be even more relevant for firms that implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), due to the complexity of the software and also the difficult implementation process in the organization. In order to fill this gap, this study analyses 104 firms that have implemented ERP and deal simultaneously with BMI. The research objective is therefore to test the role of organizational complexity between ERP and BMI. Specifically, the aim is to test the mediating role of organizational complexity between ERP and BMI. Our findings reveal that organizational complexity mediates between ERP and BMI. Important implications for researchers and managers are provided to optimize ERP implementation so as to obtain a higher return on the costs and revenue associated with BMI.

Introduction

The initial contribution by Bellman, Clark, Malcom, Craft, and Ricciardi (1957) describing a business game was the trigger for a new research stream around business model innovation (BMI), which is frequently referred to in the literature as a change in the business logic of the firm (Teece, 2010). But it was not until 40 years later that business models were regularly cited during the late 1990s, following the dotcom crisis (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010). Nowadays, the topic of BMI has become highly cited in the context of designing how a firm creates, proposes and captures value (Taran, Boer, & Lindgren, 2015). Since then, a plethora of definitions by researchers and managers (Spieth & Schneider, 2016) have been suggested in terms of business model conceptualization (Massa, Tucci, & Afuah, 2017). One of the most widely acknowledged definitions of what comprises a business model was proposed by Teece (2010; p. 172), who described a business model as: “…the design or architecture of the value creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms of a company…”. BMI is essential to the survival of any firm (Velu, 2015) and helps to define how an organization creates value and captures value from its customers (Clauss, 2017). But apart from the conceptual abstraction of the phenomenon (Foss & Saebi, 2017), the different components of BMI should be accounted for (Taran et al., 2015) in order to clarify the object under study. This study focuses on how firms deal with the organizational complexity of BMI (Chamberlin, Doutriaux, & Hector, 2010). Specifically, the approach selected focuses on the antecedents (ERP) and consequences (BMI) of organizational complexity. Such studies are popular among academics (Lambert & Davidson, 2013) wishing to obtain a clear picture of the relationships among variables inside the firm (Cortimiglia, Ghezzi, & German, 2016), which in turn impact on performance (Karimi et al., 2016). One of the elements closely linked to organizational complexity is the implementation of an ERP. There has been a growing research stream focusing on the need to adapt technological advances to BMI (Martins, Rindova, & Greenbaum, 2015) at multiple levels (Chesbrough & Rosenbloom, 2002). For example, Mohnen and Hall (2013) focus on how technology could affect the innovation of an organizational business model. By contrast, Mason and Spring (2011) analyse how a software tool or system could be incorporated into firms’ business models. In this sense, the ERP is a crucial technological application in today’s B2B markets as a means of developing firms’ business models regarding profitability and competitiveness.

Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning is an enterprise system that incorporates essential entities of the corporate sustainable value chain into a centralised system. It is a massive information system, and its deployment requires a considerable investment of money and time. Unwell plan, limited resources, and weak commitment can lead to the failure of system implementation. Few studies have discussed the concept of Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems. However, little research has focused on the implementation aspect of the system, especially on proposing a general plan that can guide practitioners to implement the Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems. To address this gap, this study aimed to develop comprehensive guidelines that provide steps and activities for implementing the system. The guidelines are developed using a conceptual research method that relies on the examination of literature to find and integrate various concepts, including sustainability aspects, project management, organisational decision levels, and stratc management. The method envelopes three phases: (i) Collection of steps and activities from the existing sustainability and ERP guidelines, (ii) Classification and evaluation of the identified steps and activities, and (iii) Identification of steps and activities required for the guidelines. The proposed guidelines entail three main modules comprising implementation steps, levels, and activities. The results would be useful for practitioners in giving a formal direction to efficiently implement Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems in their corporate value chains.

Introduction

Sustainability is a concept and process of enforcing environmental, economic, and social transformation towards a better quality of life (Scheidel et al., 2018). The philosophical reason for the emergence of this concept is the occurrence of environmental and social problems in society. This notion directs people to think of renewable resources, protection of the natural environment, human development, and other related aspects, and act for present and future generations (Sauvé et al., 2016). The importance of sustainability has been firstly acknowledged in the Brundtland Commission, the Rio Earth Summit, and other international conferences. International and regional governments impose industries to change their corporate’s vision, mission, goals, and strategies in the direction of sustainability. Organisations now prioritise sustainability in organisational and social policies and regulations (van Zanten et al., 2018). Embracing sustainable business practices in an organisation’s value chain can have a number of significant benefits such as increasing productivity and creativity (Bryson, 2017), evading fraud and mismanagement (Moosa and Ramiah, 2018), improving employees’ loyalty (Law et al., 2017), and more reliable products (Küçüksayraç, 2015). Sustainability should be intertwined as an essential component of the corporate strategy, culture, and business processes.

A Closer Look at SAP

Implementing an ERP-Driven Design

Case Study: Nestlé USA Installs SAP

Using BPMS to Improve ERP Installations

Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Process Management Suite

Notes and References

Introduction

Literature review

Research hypotheses and model

Research methodology

Results

Discussion

Implications for theory and practice

Conclusion and limitations

References

Abstract

Although cloud computing has a number of benefits, privacy risks play a critical role in organizations’ decisions to switch to cloud services. However, few studies on cloud adoption have investigated effects of both benefits and costs on switching intention. Based on cost-benefit analysis and technology acceptance model, this study develops a research model to investigate how benefits (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and costs (perceived risk and privacy concerns) influence organizations’ switching intention to cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The model also accounts for trust and perceived control in the context of cloud computing. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and privacy concerns significantly affect switching intention. Trust can enhance perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use and reduce perceived risk. Perceived control can also reduce perceived risk and privacy concerns. The findings are useful to understand switching issues from traditional ERP to cloud ERP for both researchers and practitioners.

Introduction

In recent years, cloud computing has become an emerging information technology (IT) development. It provides business products, services, and solutions that are delivered and consumed in real-time over the Internet (Gen 2008). Cloud-based models can be categorized into public, private, and hybrid clouds. In the public cloud model, services and resources are provided by cloud service providers and accessed over the Internet; in the private cloud model, IT resources and services remain within an organization and are accessed via the Intranet. Hybrid clouds mix the models of public and private clouds. Recently, public clouds have received increasing attention in IT industries. As International Data Corporation (IDC) reports, public cloud services reached US$47.4 billion in 2013. Furthermore, the market for cloud services is expected to reach US$107 billion by 2017 (Mishra 2013). Several organizations tend to switch to public cloud systems because of the benefits and useful interfaces of cloud computing (Low et al. 2011). However, the switch from traditional systems to cloud systems is still in the early stages (Park and Ryoo 2013). Accessing to data and services over the Internet increases the chances of compromising security.

Sustainability concept has been formally embraced into business since 1987 through the Brundtland Commission reports (Goni et al., 2015). This notion aims to preserve economic and social advancement while protecting the long-term value of the environment (Gauthier and Wooldridge, 2018). Morioka et al. (2017) stated that the organisations are gradually embedding the sustainability concept into their corporate to endure the competitive advantage. They integrate all sustainability aspects consisting environment, economic, and social into their business processes for adding their business value (Goni et al., 2017). During the implementation of sustainability, organisations face the problem of data and information separation (Chofreh et al., 2014a). Shen (2018) mentioned that they have difficulty tracking their sustainability performance as data and information are not readily available. As a result, decision making becomes inaccurate and redundant. This problem will hinder the achievement of sustainability goals within an organisation (Ahmed and Sundaram, 2012). There is a need to align information system strategy with the sustainability strategy to achieve effective sustainability implementation. Chofreh et al. (2014a) had proposed the Enterprise Sustainable Resource Planning (S-ERP) system to support organisations in addressing segregation issues. This system is a new idea of enterprise systems that help organisations to integrate all entities into their value chains. For implementing the S-ERP systems, practitioners need a master plan that delivers a comprehensive plan of action. Chofreh et al. (2016a) recommended a master plan that presents a holistic plan to implement the S-ERP system. This system embraces three interlocking features including a roadmap, framework, and guidelines. The S-ERP roadmap had been developed by Chofreh et al. (2017a) in their second part of the study and evaluated by Chofreh et al. (2017b) in their third part of the study. The roadmap shows process group to complete the S-ERP systems implementation. The results revealed that the S-ERP implementation roadmap consists of two parts: sustainable enterprise roadmap and sustainably integrated enterprise roadmap. Each of roadmaps includes several phases consisting pre-implementation (initiating, planning, and monitoring/controlling), implementation (planning, executing, closing/transition, and monitoring/controlling), and postimplementation (plan, do, check, and act). The S-ERP framework was developed by Chofreh et al. (2017c) in their fourth part of the study. The framework shows important aspects to consider in implementing the S-ERP systems. The framework comprises of two main aspects including sustainability paradigm (environment, economic, and social) and decisional paradigm (strategy, tactic, and operation). The present study contributes to the evaluation of the S-ERP framework using expert review. Twelve experts from the related field involved in the evaluation process. The collected data is then qualitatively analysed using ATLAS.ti 6 analysis software. The analysis results indicate that the framework requires being divided into two parts: sustainability implementation framework and S-ERP deployment framework. Further explanation of the S-ERP framework is provided in Section 5. Figure 1 illustrates the general idea of the S-ERP master plan.

1- INTRODUCTION

2- METHOD

3- BACKGROUND

4- CASE STUDIES

5- TODAY’S STATE OF PLANNING

6- CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

Abstract

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has been a major advancement in production planning and control (PPC), building on material requirements planning (MRP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II). To improve planning solutions, advanced planning systems (APS) have been offered since the nineties. Despite these developments and recent developments in digitalization, spreadsheets still play a major role in PPC. This paper describes three cases in which different capacity planning and production scheduling decisions are supported by spreadsheets. This results in a list of issues arising from the use of spreadsheets in PPC. While the advancements in PPC research have been clear over the last twenty years, the cases do not make use of these advancements in practice and we do not foresee that all spreadsheets will be replaced by APS or other digitalization efforts over the years. Therefore, while we focus more research efforts on concepts like digitalization and Industry 4.0, we must not forget that spreadsheet applications still dominates over ERP and APS as the main support for planners in their daily work.

INTRODUCTION

In this paper, we address the use of spreadsheets in today’s production planning and control (PPC). With spreadsheet application we mean the use of spreadsheets by human planners for the purpose of PPC, i.e. “to make a connection between supply and demand that will ensure the operations processes run effectively and efficiently and produce products and services that are required by customers.” (Slack et al., 2010) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are undeniable one of the greatest advancements in PPC, building on the foundations of material requirements planning (MRP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) based systems since the nineties. Digital record keeping in which operational activities update both inventory and accounting information, make ERP systems very valuable to PPC. (Robert Jacobs and Weston, 2007) It is, however, not a customized planning system per se, and the capabilities of provided MRP modules are too limited to provide the planning support that planners need. ERP can provide initial plans, but often do not provide tools that help the planner in analysis and updating the proposed planning. This is supported by an empirical study by Fransoo and Wiers (2008) in which planners largely neglect ERP system proposed production orders, in which the number of manually created production orders increases when planning complexity increases.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach for assessing the status of alignment between organizations and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems—more friendly and quantitatively. Design/methodology/approach – An issue-based ERP assessment model is invented based on thorough literature review and empirical data from three Japanese companies. A modified Cartesian coordinate system is adopted to link the alignment criteria and the system maintenance activities. Findings – The findings prove the feasibility of the model and reveal the variation of ERP alignment in a visualized way. It is also indicated that the utilization of the issue-based ERP assessment model is a more convenient method to help the organizations to pinpoint the status of the ERP alignment. Originality/value – This is the first approach to measuring the business–information technology alignment visually. One major implication of this research is to provide an easy assessment method which may encourage organizations to do evaluations regularly. The information accumulated by regular assessment can further pinpoint the perfect time to make decisions and provide essential evidence for decision makings, such as when to expand or retire the current system. From the academic perspective, this model provides a new approach to evaluating the assimilation of organizations and ERP systems.

Introduction

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system generally refers to a software architecture that integrates the complete range of a business’s processes and functions in order to present a holistic view of the business from single information and information technology (IT) architecture (Klaus et al., 2000). It is considered to be a comprehensive solution seek to integrate business processes and functions in order to present a holistic view of the business from a single IT architecture (Klaus et al., 2000). With the development of IT and the demands of organizations, the ERP system originated from manufacturing cores has been able to cover nearly all essential processes and functions of organizations and became one of the most widespread information systems (ISs) during the past two decades. Recently, traditional ERP in organizations, such as on-Premise ERP, has already been increasingly impacted by emerging IT, such as cloud services and social media technologies. A recent survey conducted by Gartner group in 2013 reveals that 47 percent of the organizations planned to move to cloud-based systems within the next five years (Rayner, 2014). The dilemma of ERP switching appears more serious to large enterprises (LEs) may be because the legacy system which had cost a lot. There are already considerable cases in which organizations have successfully replaced a traditional ERP system with a new type of ERP system. As a matter of fact, in a recent study, Huang (2016) found out that within 40 organizations in Japan that have conducted ERP switching/reversion, 29 are LEs. For the majority, whether or not making this critical decision still lacks reliable methods and experience to back up. One critical issue is how those organizations can aware of the right timing to decide to switch or revise the current ERP. In other words, is there any way to reveal the status of the alignment between business and system whenever necessary? In order to deal with the above issue, the primary step is to assess the ERP system whether it still fits the organization. Indeed, considerable evaluation methods can be found in the previous literature.

1- Introduction

2- Literature review

3- Theoretical framework: power, trust, control and organisation transformation

4- Methodology and date collection methods

5- The case study

6- Discussion and conclusion

References

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore political behaviours associated with the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in a public service organisation from an emerging market country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach: The authors’ theoretical framework is based on the notions of trust, agent reflexivity, ontological security, routines, control and power proposed by Giddens (1984, 1990). The authors explore how the political behaviour of organisation members emanates from the introduction of an ERP system (particularly its accounting modules), and how the interaction between individual power, trust and control shaped its implementation process. The case study methodology relied on diverse data collection methods including semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence and personal observation.

Findings: The authors show that the accounting-based ERP system created an episode of discomfort in the organisation, which facilitated reflexivity and critical reflection by organisation members and led to a re-assessment of ways of thinking pre- and post-dating the implementation of the ERP system. The findings illustrate the entangled relationship between the new accounting-based ERP system and the feelings of trust emerging during organisational change.

Introduction

Although previous studies have suggested that the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system could lead to changes in accounting practices, so far, only limited (or even absent) effects have been identified (Booth et al., 2000; Chapman, 2005; Dechow and Mouritsen, 2005; Quattrone and Hopper, 2005; Kholeif et al., 2007; Cadili and Whitley, 2005; Hassan and Mouakket, 2016). In fact, some studies provide evidence that the implementation of ERP systems promote stability rather than change in accounting practices (Granlund and Malmi, 2002; Scapens and Jazayeri, 2003). Some scholars explain the lack of accounting-based ERP change in terms of the technical and “customisation” issues raised by ERP systems (Soh and Sia, 2004), while others attribute the observed lack of change to behavioural issues associated with the adoption of new integrated information systems such as ERP (Brignall and Ballantine, 2004). Skærbæk (1998) argues that power is an underlying cause behind organisational stability or change, highlighting the effect of political elements (i.e. conflict of interests among different coalitions) on the implementation of new information systems. Nevertheless, previous studies have not delved into the foundations and premises underlying considerations of power by organisation members. Prior literature has addressed some behavioural aspects associated with the implementation of accounting-based ERP systems. First, organisations and individuals are rational and make decisions to change their accounting system based on appropriate cost/benefit trade-offs (Arnold, 2006). Second, the cognitive and political aspects of human behaviour enable individuals to resist the change in accounting practices resulting from the adoption of ERP systems. The influence of “power and politics” on organisational behaviour and accounting change is not a newly identified topic (Abernethy and Vagnoni, 2004), but previous analyses lacked a coherent framework to fully explore the phenomenon as well as the role of human rationality in the process. For example, Arnold (2006) proposes behavioural investigations of how top management influences the implementation of ERP systems; the processes aligning routines of organisation members with ERP requirements; and, finally, the reasons for implementing accounting-based ERP systems. Chang (2014) recommends the examination of how organisation members attempt to gain power, secure their self-interest and avoid responsibility relates to their “political behaviour” during the implementation of information systems. Coad and Glyptis (2014) highlight that political behaviour in organisations rests on feelings of trust among people and on the system itself, while Busco et al. (2006) propose that political behaviour in business organisations is the outcome of a balance between trust and control. Though insightful, these views and analyses do not resolve how political behaviour interacts with each other and how patterns of political behaviour emerge and dominate the processes of implementing an accounting-based ERP system.

In this era of stiff global competition, knowledge/know-how is widely recognized as one of the core assets/enablers for any organization, service or manufacturing (Davenport and Prusak, 1998; Drucker, 1993). The ability of organizations to identify, codify and leverage/use of their knowledge sources have become a significant determinant of their competitive posture (Bhatt, 2001). Therefore, the field of knowledge management has emerged as a fruitful research area of interest to both academicians and practitioners (Wiig, 2000). There seem to be a consensus amongst the educational as well as practitioner community that effective implementation and proper management of knowledge management are essential to compete in the highly dynamic global business environment (Delen, Zaim, Kuzey, & Zaim, 2013; Hicks, Dattero, & Galup, 2007; Zaim, 2006). Today’s organizations, often viewed as an extended enterprise that include suppliers and vendors (upstream) and customers and distributors (downstream), are usually arranged in processes that handle both goods/services and information that we nowadays collectively call as the supply chain. The management of such processes are called supply chain management, or SCM in short (Su & Yang, 2010). Supply chain has been one of the most popular investigative topics for both managers/practitioners and researcher/academicians in recent years, and many firms have gained competitive advantage by carefully researching and properly improving their supply chain capabilities. In the extant literature, supply chain management is covered rather wide and technically deep, including research that aimed at addressing issues like optimal selection of suppliers, improving collaboration among supply chain members, better management of warehouses, balancing risk and reward shared between buyers and sellers, handling logistics of hazardous material, improving vehicle routing, enabling green supply chain, to name just a few. What makes supply chain research challenging and potentially more impactful is to study it within the context of knowledge management.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate critical success factors (CSFs) for the implementation of an ERP system from a user perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted in two successive steps. First, a literature review was conducted to derive CSFs for ERP system implementation. Second, a survey was conducted to evaluate the importance of these CSFs from a user perspective. Data was collected through a questionnaire that was distributed within a German manufacturer and was developed based on the CSFs found in the literature. Grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to rank the CSFs in order of importance from a user perspective. Findings: The findings reveal that users regard eleven of the thirteen CSFs found in the literature as important for ERP system implementation. Seven of the CFSs were classified as the most important from a user perspective including project team, technical possibilities, strategic decision-making, training and education, minimum customization, software testing and performance measurement. Users regarded two of the thirteen CSFs as not important when implementing an ERP system, including organizational change management and top management involvement. Research limitations/implications: One limitation of this study is that the respondents originate from one organization, industry and country. The findings may differ in other contexts and thus future research should be expanded to include more organizations, industries and countries. Another limitation is that this study only evaluates existing CSFs from a user perspective rather than identifying new ones and/or the underlying reasons using more qualitative research. Practical implications: A better understanding of the user perspective towards CSFs for ERP system implementation promises to contribute to the design of more effective ERP systems, a more successful implementation and a more effective operation. When trying to successfully implement an ERP system, the project team may use the insights from the user perspective. Originality/Value: Even though researchers highlight the important role users play during ERP system implementation, their perspective towards the widely discussed CSFs for ERP system implementation has not been investigated comprehensively. This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating CSFs derived from the literature from a user perspective.

Introduction

The supply chain and its management is of major importance in most industries. In essence, it concerns collection and analysis of data to provide better basis for decision-making (Hilletofth & Lättilä, 2012). Information systems are needed to achieve this due to complex supply chain structures and processes (Hilletofth, 2010). One information system that has been crucial in operating and managing supply chains efficiently and effectively is the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Hilletofth et al., 2010). The ERP system provides seamless integration of processes across functional areas with improved workflow and standardization as well as access to real-time and up-to-date data (Umble et al., 2003). It has become a fundamental tool in order to remain competitive on both global and local markets (Beheshti & Beheshti, 2010). The implementation of an ERP system is a complex, difficult, costly and time-consuming task (Al-Mashari & Al-Mudimigh, 2003; Xue et al., 2005) and many ERP projects continue fail to meet their original scope, budget and schedule (Huang et al., 2004; Mu et al., 2015). The reasons for failure have been widely discussed in the literature and research concentrates on identifying the conditions that are believed to increase the probability of success of an implementation project (e.g., Chang et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2009; Maguire et al., 2010). These conditions are commonly referred to as critical success factors (CSFs). Understanding these CSFs and how they influence the outcome of the implementation project decreases the risk of failure and provide helpful guidance for organizations (Huang et al., 2004). The existing literature includes many studies on CSFs for ERP system implementation and most originate from the time when ERP system first started to be implemented in the industry. However, research is still being conducted within this specific field due to the constant demand of newer and more advanced systems (Saade & Nijher, 2016). The literature of CSFs for ERP system implementation may be divided into two streams where the first focuses on the adapting organisation itself and the second stream focuses on the network of actors involved during the implementation project. Within the adapting organization stream, researchers focus on four perspectives when discussing CSFs for ERP system implementation (e.g. Chang et al., 2015; Dezdar & Sulaiman, 2009; Maguire et al., 2010; Somers & Nelson, 2001; Sumner, 2000), including the generic, senior manager, project manager and user perspective.

In an increasingly competitive globalized market, the key to organization’s success is the ability to maintain and increase that competitive advantage (Porter, 1991). In this new paradigm, organisations cannot compete on their own. Success can only be achieved through cooperation with other organisations like truly integrated and flexible supply chains (Lambert & Cooper, 2000). Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a natural evolution of the 80’s manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), inheriting all the concepts and theories that date back to the 60’s with first attempts to rationalise lead times and possession stock costs. ERP rapidly became the standard enhancing operational efficiency with the integration of business processes throughout all organization (Akkermans, Bogerd, Yücesan, & van Wassenhove, 2003; Davenport, 1998). In the past decades, ERP systems’ usage numbers have increased tremendously, and the worldwide ERP market summed 22.4 billion euros by 2013. The competition is fierce, and the top five companies represent half of the market (SAP: 24%; Oracle: 12%; Sage: 6%; Infor: 6%, and Microsoft: 5%) (Pang, Dharmasthira, Eschinger, Brant, & Motoyoshi, 2013). After first failures of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in mid-1990’s, the IS research community became intrigued by the factors in such “productivity paradox” (Brynjolfsson, 1993). Making people adopt a new system was no easy process but is vital to the success of every organization (Basoglu, Daim, & Kerimoglu, 2007). Various studies were developed to understand the main drivers that led users to adopt a certain ERP system (e.g., Bradley, 2008; Chien & Tsaur, 2007; Gorla, Somers, & Wong, 2010; Nwankpa & Roumani, 2014; Nwankpa, 2015; Pan & Jang, 2008; Rajan & Baral, 2015; Sternad & Bobek, 2013; Tsai, Lee, Shen, & Lin, 2012; Youngberg, Olsen, & Hauser, 2009). Although the conclusions were very significant, reviewed studies are usually centred on a specific model or framework and fail to explain the relations between ERP user’s adoption and user’s satisfaction. Hence, through the review of scoped literature in the area, the state of the art about ERP Adoption and satisfaction is assessed. Founded on this review, a model proposal is built to have a structural body for validation. A survey is conducted to gather data, which is used as a base for model validation by the quantitative statistical method of PLS-SEM.

Supply chains are interconnected networks where multiple organizations exchange materials and information to operate in a coordinated manner. Efficient use of limited resources requires the use of system-wide data with optimization models. Efficiency, speed, and reliability are especially critical in disaster relief supply chains. There have been many calls to combine the supply chain management and information systems literatures and adapt them to the special needs of humanitarian logistics (Day et al., 2012). This paper combines these literatures to propose the use of integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as the next step in the road toward integration of humanitarian supply chains. Furthermore, the paper proposes a conceptual model for the implementation and use of integrated ERP for emergency humanitarian logistics (EHL). In order to build the main thesis of this paper, an extensive literature review was performed in the fields of humanitarian operations, logistics information systems, and enterprise resource planning. Articles that are relevant to the logical structure of the paper were identified from these literatures, and from the articles cited in these papers. These articles include surveys, case studies, conceptual papers, and literature reviews or meta-analyses. The literature supports the multi-organizational supply chain coordination needed in humanitarian logistics, and compares them commercial supply chains where ERP systems are commonly used. The specific requirements of humanitarian organizations are analyzed from an information perspective, and existing information systems for humanitarian logistics are reviewed, contrasting inter-organizational systems with an integrated enterprise system. The system development life cycle is used as a basis for a process model, while common ERP information structure is used to propose the general structure of the humanitarian enterprise system.