Managing stakeholders in enterprise resource planning (ERP) context : a proposed model of effective implementation

Al Rashid, W

Abstract

Organisations pursue Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to achieve improvements in their performance. However, the literature reports that organisations that implement ERP systems still suffer from a gap between the promised ERP benefits versus the actual realised benefits after the completion of the implementation

The literature review in this thesis examines the factors, which may prevent a newly-implemented ERP system from being successful. Prior research suggests several models to assist organisations in managing their ERP investments for the sake of leveraging business performance and hence retaining or enhancing competitive advantages. Each implementation model addresses ERP implementation from a single perspective such as generic, process management and training management. As long as stakeholders in ERP implementation are concerned, a review of the critical success factors (CSF) in ERP implementation shows a gap in the literature regarding the holistic view of what key stakeholders perceived as the CSF that results in implementation success. This leads to the assumption that stakeholders’ views are not considered valuable, and as a result, they are receiving less attention of managing their roles and responsibilities. Throughout the thesis, stakeholders management is addressed along two main dimensions; 1) the effect of ERP on stakeholders; 2) the different roles of senior managers, ERP managers, consultants, suppliers and customers on the effectiveness of the implementation.

The aim of this research is to establish a well-designed and holistic framework for ERP implementation, centred on the management of roles and responsibilities among stakeholders. The study is an exploratory investigation into the ERP implementation process. Therefore, the research design, involving qualitative methodology, covers: (1) the identification of ERP critical success factors commonly cited in the literature; (2) a review of the existing ERP implementation models; (3) using an in-depth case studies approach to understand how the roles and responsibilities among stakeholders being managed and how it can improve ERP ROI; and (4) reviewing Secondary data sourced from prior academic research studies, so that the findings from the cases investigated could be compared with the findings of this study, to provide triangulation and hence to enhance the validity of the findings.
A holistic model for effective management of roles and responsibilities among ERP stakeholders is built, along with a set guidelines and recommendations representing an integrated framework that is straightforward to understand and implement by ERP sponsors to increase the degree of the ERP implementation success.

The research findings explain clearly how effective management of roles and responsibilities can optimise return on ERP investment. It suggests three decisive points where ERP sponsors need to focus on how to define, review and amend roles and responsibilities to sustain ERP benefits which increase the long-term ERP investment.
Finally the study provides a foundation and proposals for further research and investigation.

Citation

Al Rashid, W. Managing stakeholders in enterprise resource planning (ERP) context : a proposed model of effective implementation. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: May 16, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: May 16, 2014