آمادگی پروژه و ظهور مشکلات پیاده سازی در پروژه های برنامه ریزی منابع سازمانی (ERP)

The problems that organizations face in implementing an enterprise-wide ERP project are linked to their level of understanding of what is involved in such an endeavor and how it influences their initial preparations. We sought to demonstrate empirically the causal relationship between the organization's preparedness and the emergence of implementation problems. We examined four case studies to extract insight into the criticality of certain factors and the type of problems created when no moderating measures were taken by project managers. Consequently, we developed a predictor-outcome model mapping a lack of preparedness with implementation problems.

ERP packages are one of the important software purchases of medium and small organizations, though they have been available for more than 10 years and have become the underpinning of IS for many organizations. However, ERP implementation problems are not understood by many managers [10] and their expected benefits are seldom realized. The magnitude and complexity of an enterprise-wide project poses considerable risks; therefore, strategies for controlling risk factors are paramount in achieving some degree of success. Some work has been conducted to identify the key players and activities that contribute to ERP success [17] and it seems that managers who make an initial evaluation of a project, determining its rules, players, goals, constraints, and project manager's responsibility and authority are more likely to be successful. Thus, an organization's state of readiness is extremely important. However, little is understood about what it means for an organization to be mindful[19] in its approach to investing in an ERP package. We conduct an investigation into the managers’ level of understanding of ERP project implementation and the preparations that should be made to increase the likelihood of its success. To achieve this objective, we begin with a review of the ERP literature on principles of preparedness and its four typical ‘macro’ implementation problem areas. We then use four in-depth case studies to determine empirically the causal relationship between preparedness and outcomes.

Overall, SerCom displayed excellent awareness and preparedness for their enterprise-wide ERP project initiative compared to the other organizations. As a result, it experienced a successful project outcome and can be characterized as having been mindful in their approach to their ERP project. An Post demonstrated a high level of awareness for the project initially, but, their preparation was inadequate at the planning stage and they then faced a number of setbacks throughout the project life-cycle. It can be characterized as a deviant case, in that managers displayed a high awareness of what was involved, but failed to translate it into proper preparation for the project. Both BGT and the Health Service shared a number of common characteristics in terms of their experiences with their ERP projects. Both found themselves undertaking a large IT project, without the required level of business support. This lack of preparedness in the area of standardization and deployment of an enterprise-wide business process infrastructure lead to an extended project time-frame, with an associated escalation in costs, and a poor fit between the software and the business. Finally, BGT, the Health Service and An Post demonstrated a lack of appreciation of an enterprise-wide view of the organization and they paid very little attention to standardizing processes that increased the efficiency of the business. We believe that a mindful preparation for an ERP project should lead to fewer implementation problems. In particular, the attention of all relevant organizational actors must be focused on the need for proper preparation and on the early identification and correction of potential problems. Our understanding of the causality between preparedness, implementation problems and project outcomes are presented in Fig. 2.