On Managing the Enterprise Information Systems Transformation: Lessons learned and research challenges

Contemporary standardized Enterprise Information Systems, like SAP or Oracle, are increasingly setting the agenda and the pace for the development of almost any organization. Most organizations today are required not only to establish effective business processes but they are also required to accommodate for changing business conditions at an increasing rate. The major vendors are proposing new breed of technology, sometime denoted extended ERP or ERP/II. Consequently the time is ripe to reflect on the status of Enterprise Information Systems and their application in practice. This paper reflects on the lessons learned from managing the Enterprise Information Systems transformation and outlines future challenges for research on Enterprise Information Systems. The paper concludes that the ERP industry has a significant and increasing impact on enterprises due to the EIS enable transformation of the business. Consequently, the practical implications of these results are the continued management of EIS, after going-live, but most important, EIS research need to refocus and embrace this new tendency. The paper takes an exploratory perspective on managing the EIS transformation by examine the evidence from the experience gained in seven different Danish organizations. The paper finally outlines the critical implications for research in EIS.