ASSESSMENT OF ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION IN ZIMBABWEAN COMPANIES AND READINESS TOOL TOWARDS A STRATEGIC SUCCESS FRAMEWORK

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) was a great leap of technology that received astounding welcome in the business world. However, with time problems began to surface, from complexity to inflexibility. Consequently, companies implementing ERP software are not attaining full benefits due to several reasons. Studies have been carried out in different countries to evaluate the causes of failure and provide solutions. This paper aimed at assessing ERP implementation from Zimbabwe’s perspective. Questionnaire surveys were done focusing on major project stages namely pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation. The survey also targeted all parties involved in ERP implementation, comprising top management, Information Technology department, end users and consultants. From the findings analysed, a conceptual success model was designed and simulated using System Dynamics Software. Application software was developed using Visual Basic 200x to measure companies’ readiness level for ERP implementation. Based on these results, recommendations were made on ways to tap the full potential embedded in the Enterprise Resource Planning technology. Therefore, the resulting model and software was used as a tool for companies that intend to optimize their systems and to manage ERP projects in future.