تاثیر اجرای سیستم برنامه ریزی منابع سازمانی (ERP) بر عملکرد عملیاتی یک سازمان

We investigate changes in operational performance that result from enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation. A literature-based and theory-driven model was developed to examine the relationship between ERP system implementation status and operational performance. Data were gathered through a field study to test the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that the implementation of each ERP system module influences operational performance measures differently. In addition, the results highlight the varying influence of the implementation of the ERP system, as a whole, on operational performance measures. Our findings suggest that a better understanding of the contribution of ERP systems to operational performance can be obtained if researchers and managers assess changes in operational performance at both the modular and the system levels.

The global market for enterprise resource planning (ERP) has registered significant growth in the last two decades (Bonasera, 2000, Mabert et al., 2000 and Reilly, 2005). The global ERP market's revenues were estimated at $65 billion in 2008, $61 billion in 2009, and $65 billion in 2010 (D’Aquila, Shepherd, & Friscia, 2009). Early ERP system implementers deployed modules that primarily addressed intra-firm activities in the finance, logistics, and human resources functions of the organization (Hernandez, 1998, Mabert et al., 2000 and Meissner, 2000). As intra-firm ERP implementations stabilized, firms added modules that addressed inter-firm activities (Bendoly and Jacobs, 2005, Hendricks et al., 2007 and McGaughley and Gunasekaran, 2007). Because of expanding customer demand, ERP vendors continue to add to their product lines by offering ERP systems that have more depth, complexity, and modular integration. Investment in ERP systems has been fueled by studies indicating that ERP system implementations result in improvements in operational performance (Cottelleer, 2006, Mabert et al., 2001 and McAfee, 2002). Mabert et al. (2001) and McAfee (2002) found that intra-firm ERP systems enable firms to standardize, integrate, and streamline their data and process flows. This also provides critical information streams necessary for effective decision-making. Firms fine-tune their installations over time and leverage ERP information to effect improvements in areas such as inventory management and order management. Firms typically add modules that extended the ERP system beyond the enterprise to include suppliers and customers. The ongoing process of stabilizing, fine-tuning, and extending ERP systems has been found to further improve operational performance (Bendoly et al., 2009, Gattiker and Goodhue, 2005 and Stratman, 2007).

In this study, a conceptual model was developed and a survey instrument constructed to gather data for testing the hypothesized model relationships. The results indicate that the contributions of different ERP system modules vary with different measures of operational performance and that a systemic ERP system implementation contributes to operational performance changes. Because performance varies with implementation status, it is important that managers focus on holistic integration to derive maximum systemic gains. It is the systematic combination of modules, rather than ERP implementation per se, that dictates performance enhancement.Our findings suggest that an 8-module ERP system provides optimal systemic benefits for the stereotypical firm in the Indian production sector. The findings also suggest that merely throwing more modules (beyond the eight modules identified in this study) at existing business challenges may not help either. On the contrary, they could very well exacerbate the situation. Longitudinal studies would help to further validate the findings of this study.We hope future research extends our line of thinking and considers the use of longitudinal designs to capture and tease out the time delayed effects between ERP system fine-tuning (at the module and sub-module levels) as well as upgradation, and changes in operational performance. Data could also be collected from multiple sources within the firm. Multi-source studies would enable the investigation of linkages among the modular components that support intra-firm and inter-firm information flows and their role in helping firms manage environmental uncertainties.