Risky business: when a CRM vendor masqueraded as an ERP specialist

Griffiths, M; Light, BA

Abstract

Taking a social shaping perspective we unpack the development trajectory of a packaged software
product to show, that contrary to mainstream accounts, design is not completely specified a-priori and
that the process continues throughout implementation, and use. We show how developers, in this case
third party vendors, can continue to engage in shaping packages during implementation and also how
users contribute to the development effort. In particular, we illustrate how a customer relationship
management package application targeted at a particular organisational function was configured to
make an enterprise wide system and the key role of the vendor in this effort. To do this we refer to a 3-
year qualitative field study of an expanding United Kingdom based consultancy company undergoing
extreme ICT related change. This empirical research is used to explore an often ignored phenomenon,
that of the role of vendors in appropriating ICTs and the potential risks they bring. Through this, we
highlight the plight and responsibilities of low-level organisational actors in this process in
cognisance of the fact they usually have a minor role in ICT selection but become a major player in
dealing with vendors at the implementation stage when the devil is truly in the detail. The risks we
identify relate to: vendor sales pitches of products as specifically related to their capabilities and the
products they put forward; the calling upon of organisational resources by vendors; vendor
knowledge of the application are and the actual ‘social’, ‘technical’ and ‘organisational’ capabilities
of vendors to deliver a working product. We also point to the risks managers in vendor and consumer
organisations create by placing their staff in difficult conditions within appropriation processes. The
implications of our work centre on the need for further research related to: vendor/developer risks of
packaged software, custom and open source projects; notions of professionalism and ethics in the
software industry and project working conditions.

Citation

Griffiths, M., & Light, B. (2007, June). Risky business: when a CRM vendor masqueraded as an ERP specialist. Presented at European Conference on Information Systems, St Gallen, Switzerland

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: European Conference on Information Systems
• Conference Location: St Gallen, Switzerland
• Start Date: Jun 7, 2007
• End Date: Jun 9, 2007
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Deposit Date: Sep 1, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 5, 2016
• Keywords: Packaged software, risk, CRM, ERP, vendors, consultants
• Publisher URL: http://is2.lse.ac.uk/asp/aspecis/20070061.pdf
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference