Understanding ERP Implementation Methods: The Case of ASAP

This paper presents the analysis of one Enterprise Resource Planning systems implementation method, namely AcceleratedSAP (ASAP). The analysis is based on Iivari’s (1991) framework for investigating the underlying assumptions of information systems development methods. The framework includes four dimensions: ontology, epistemology, research methodology and ethics. The analyses show similarities between information systems development approaches, such as the infological-, the information modelling-, the socio-technical-, and the trade unionist approach. The main difference between ASAP and traditional information systems development methods is the inherent view of information requirements, which can be summarised as information predetermined, i.e. the method ‘knows’ the information requirements and dictates the information specification. In addition, or a consequence of information predetermination, ASAP applies a reversed logic of analysis and design in the implementation, where the implementation process begins with the design followed by the analysis.

[1]  José Esteves.  AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE TYPES RELEVANCE ALONG ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION PHASES , 2003 .

[2]  Herbert A. Simon,et al.  The Sciences of the Artificial , 1970 .

[3]  Kristin Braa,et al.  Technology as traitor: emergent SAP infrastructure in a global organization , 1998, ICIS '98.

[4]  Thomas Kalling,et al.  ERP Systems and the Strategic Management Processes that Lead to Competitive Advantage , 2003, Inf. Resour. Manag. J..

[5]  Michael Rosemann,et al.  Requirements Engineering for Enterprise Systems , 2001 .

[6]  M. Markus,et al.  The Enterprise System Experience— From Adoption to Success , 2000 .

[7]  Salvatore T. March,et al.  Design and natural science research on information technology , 1995, Decis. Support Syst..

[8]  Jonas Hedman,et al.  On Enterprise Systems Artifacts: Changes in Information Systems Development and Evaluation , 2003 .

[9]  Henk Sol,et al.  Information Systems Methodologies: A Framework for Understanding , 1988 .

[10]  D. Morgan,et al.  Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis. , 1983 .

[11]  Anol Bhattacherjee,et al.  Beginning SAP R/3 Implementation at Geneva Pharmaceuticals , 2000, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[12]  Erik Stolterman,et al.  Exploring the assumptions underlying information systems methodologies: Their impact on past, present and future ISM research , 2000, Inf. Technol. People.

[13]  Richard T. Vidgen,et al.  Constructing a web information system development methodology , 2002, Inf. Syst. J..

[14]  Jeanne W. Ross,et al.  Learning to Implement Enterprise Systems: An Exploratory Study of the Dialectics of Change , 2002, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[15]  Angela Lin,et al.  Mission Critical: Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems , 2001 .

[16]  William M. Taggart,et al.  A Survey of Information Requirements Analysis Techniques , 1977, CSUR.

[17]  IivariJuhani,et al.  Analyzing information systems development , 1996 .

[18]  Bradley D. Hiquet,et al.  Sap R/3 Implementation Guide: A Manager's Guide to Understanding Sap , 1998 .

[19]  Juhani Iivari,et al.  A paradigmatic analysis of contemporary schools of IS development , 1991 .

[20]  Vinod Kumar,et al.  Enterprise resource planning systems adoption process: A survey of Canadian organizations , 2002 .

[21]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  A Dynamic Framework for Classifying Information Systems Development Methodologies and Approaches , 2000, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[22]  D. J. Wu,et al.  Investment in Enterprise Resource Planning: Business Impact and Productivity Measures , 2002, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[23]  Trevor Wood-Harper,et al.  A Taxonomy of Current Approaches to Systems Analysis , 1982, Comput. J..

[24]  Judy L. Wynekoop,et al.  System Development Methodologies: Unanswered Questions and the Research-Practice Gap , 1993, ICIS.

[25]  M. A. Rashid.  The Evolution of ERP Systems: A Historical Perspective , 2002 .

[26]  Hubert Österle,et al.  Accelerated SAP: 4 Case Studies , 1998 .

[27]  Jonas Hedman.  ERP Implementation Methods: The Case of ASAP , 2005 .

[28]  Peter Axel Nielsen,et al.  Approaches to Appreciate Information Systems Methodologies: A Soft Systems Survey , 1991, Scand. J. Inf. Syst..

[29]  Adel M. Aladwani.  Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation , 2001, Bus. Process. Manag. J..

[30]  Petia Wohed.  Schema quality, schema enrichment, and reuse in information systems analysis , 2000 .

[31]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  A Paradigmatic Analysis Contrasting Information Systems Development Approaches and Methodologies , 1998, Inf. Syst. Res..

[32]  Rudy Hirschheim,et al.  Analyzing Information Systems Development a Comparison and Analysis of Eight IS Development Approaches , 1996, Inf. Syst..

[33]  Wanda J. Orlikowski,et al.  Research Commentary: Desperately Seeking the "IT" in IT Research - A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact , 2001, Inf. Syst. Res..

[34]  Juhani Iivari,et al.  The usage of systems development methods: are we stuck to old practices? , 1998, Inf. Softw. Technol..