A Case Study Analysis of Factors for Success in ERP System Implementations

Enterprise Resource Planning systems are complex systems that integrate data and business processes. ERP implementations have been plagued with failure but ERP continues to be adopted and is expanding into new areas. This paper identifies frequently cited factors of success, describes them within the context of supporting evidence and compares identified factors with actual practice using two case studies. Successful ERP implementations begin with education that requires organizations to develop an understanding of their business processes and to map those processes to a fully integrated ERP system. The focus should be on improving the way an organization conducts business by exploiting the capabilities of ERP and recognizing the dynamism of an enterprise initiative that represents change.