In today’s business climate many organizations are implementing ERP systems to connect all their processes into one system thereby hoping to benefit off the resulting efficiencies. ERP Vendors are trying to best cater to the needs of their customers, and this extends into the post-implementation period where customers rely on the Vendor to resolve software and technical errors that inevitably occur. This study looks into a factor with-in this area from the ERP Vendor perspective. Customers have to communicate with their ERP Vendor in the post-implementation period to resolve problems, and this study focuses on how this could best happen. This study uses a single case study approach that is centered on an ERP Vendor’s Customer support team. This Vendor has identified a requirement of getting a new and improved customer support e-system. This study will investigate for them, and other ERP Vendors in similar situations, what factors should influence this decision. To find the influential factors for the ERP Vendor’s requirement, the study looks into the available literature concerning ERP and IT support, and then survey’s the customer support team for further data. Part of the survey is based on a pre-existing study regarding the measurement of customer system effectiveness. And then qualitative responses from the support team are also analyzed. This study has brought to light many influential factors for ERP Vendors to take into consideration to have an effective customer support e-system. While all the factors can be taken into consideration in varying degrees, this study concludes that the most important center on and around providing Self Service Support (SSS). And then with-in the e-system, the Vendor must ensure an alignment to their and customer processes, while maintaining clear and logical access to quality information.

近年來，企業資源規劃系統（Enterprise Resource Planning system, ERP）已經普遍成為中、大型企業整合企業內部各功能單位與企業資源最受歡迎的工具，中小企業在資金允許情況下也會倒入ERP協助企業管理，然而ERP的導入雖帶來許多企業效益，但也常常伴隨著組織變革、員工抗拒和企業流程衝突等問題與挑戰。 對於資源不足、大多數缺乏專業資訊人員的中小企業來說，ERP的導入更是一大挑戰，中小企業組織不若大企業嚴謹，在營運流程上也不見得有一定規範，因此導入ERP系統時，往往需要從現有流程的檢視開始，故本研究探討企業流程再造在中小企業導入ERP系統的過程中扮演的角色及效益，希冀給予未來有意導入或升級ERP系統的中小企業、協助中小企業導入ERP系統的顧問建議。 本研究以個案研究方式為主，選擇電子零組件組裝業中的台灣製造商為個案公司，經由訪談顧問公司主管及個案公司專案負責人，瞭解個案公司ERP系統導入的原因、導入過程的困難與挑戰以及過程中組織、流程的改變。 本研究主要的研究議題如下： 一、從文獻及案例中，蒐集實證資料驗證ERP系統的導入過程有助進行企業流程再造 二、透過個案公司訪談，蒐集實證資料驗證ERP系統有助於企業成長 三、ERP系統商產品選擇及導入流程對於ERP實施成效的影響 / Enterprise Resource Planning system, ERP, has become the most popular system to integrate information between function units in large and medium-sizes enterprises recently. In order to help management, small and medium enterprises may implement ERP when its business is adequately financed. Though enterprises can gain benefits from implementation of ERP, it still comes along with organization change, employee resistance and conflicts of business processes. The implementation of ERP may be a big challenge to small and medium enterprises for those who lack of resources or IT expertise. The structure of small and medium enterprises is not as organized as large enterprises, and even do not have a clear standard operation procedure. Therefore, an inspection of current process is needed in the beginning of ERP implementation. This study focuses on the role that implementation of ERP take and the benefits that small and medium enterprises gain from it, hoping to give advises to those who want to implement or upgrade its ERP system and ERP consultants. It is a case study on Electronic Assembly Company in Taiwan, focusing on the reason of ERP implementation, processes, organization changes and challenges in the implementation of ERP. The main findings are below: 1. Collating data to prove that the implementation of ERP will help to conduct Business Process Reengineering 2. The implementation of ERP will help business growth 3. The process of ERP implementation will influence the effectiveness of ERP

Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva användarnas upplevda nytta/upplevelse av ett affärssystem som företaget använder. Vidare redogörs för de eventuella svårigheter företaget stött på vid uppgradering av affärssystemet. Studien har utgått ifrån en kvalitativ undersökning och en deduktiv ansats. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med ett urval på sex respondenter i ett fastighetsbolag skapades en empiri. De valda respondenterna arbetar på olika avdelningar och har olika positioner i företaget, detta för att kunna ge en helhetsbild av företaget till studien. Företagets affärssystem är ett verksamhetsanpassat affärssystem, som företaget är nöjda med. Det finns för- och nackdelar med ett sådant system, där en av nackdelarna som respondenterna nämner är att det är kostsamt. Det är kostsamt framförallt vid uppgradering av affärssystemet, då det tar mycket tid att utföra och att företaget är i stort behov av konsulter. Behovet av konsulter finns för att kunna uppgradera systemet, samt när problem uppstår med systemet. Något annat som kostar är interna och externa utbildningar. Det företaget gör är att ta in konsulter för att utbilda sina anställda istället för att skicka anställda på utbildning. Anledningen till att konsulter tas in av företaget är för att fler anställda tar del av utbildningen vid en internutbildning, vilket leder till en mindre kostnad för företaget. / The purpose of this essay is to describe the users' perceived benefits / experience of an ERP system that the company uses. Furthermore, outlines the possible difficulties the company encountered when upgrading the ERP system. The study has been based on a qualitative study and a deductive approach. Through semi-structured interviews with a sample of six respondents in a property company created an empiricist. The selected respondents are working in different departments and with different positions in the company, this in order to give an overall picture of the company in to the study. The system of the company is an activity suited ERP and the company is pleased with. There are advantages and disadvantages of such system, where one of the disadvantages that the respondents mention is that it is costly. It is costly, especially when upgrading the business system, in which it takes much time and that the company is in great need of consultants. The need for consultants is in order to upgrade the system, as well as problems arise within the system. Something else that costs is internal and external training programs. What the company doe’s, is to bring in consultants to train their employees. The reason that the consultants are brought in by the company is that more employee’s takes part of the training during an internal, which leads to a lower cost to the company.

This research is carried out by studying a Chinese factory, producing metal spare parts, and its Swedish parent company that produces binding machines. The companies recently merged together after a previous relationship as supplier and customer. To bring the companies closer together an ERP-system was implemented during the research period. The purpose of this study is to answer three research objectives: Explore what outcomes there are when a Swedish company acquires a Chinese factory related to cultural differences affecting the merging process. Investigate conditional barriers for developing the Chinese factory to meet Swedish standards regarding the relation of quality and production. Discover how efficient communication with ERP-system can help with the achievement of meeting Swedish standards for the subsidiary Chinese factory. To answer these questions, interviews with three people in management positions was constructed and carried out. A questionnaire was constructed to get the employees views on changes. Observations was made in the Chinese factory which provided some information useful to answering the research objectives and with these three methods the results could be triangulated. Literature was reviewed with connections to: culture differences, ERP-systems and quality perspective in China to construct the theoretical basis for this research.   The study discovered how culture differences affected important areas such as communication, work implementation and management. The cultural differences also affected the second research question about quality and production. Other aspects as education, quality focus, and involvement from employees were also acting as a barrier for developing quality and production. The implementation of an ERP-system experienced some of the barriers mentioned above as language and culture differences but also providing effective communication. Also other benefits as a clearer view of the organization structure, manufacturing processes and the production flow.  However, the ERP-system implemented also has its flaws since it is not fully adapted to the Chinese market and users’ needs. It is also a reflection on the importance of understanding and adjusting to the Chinese culture.

Affärssystem är en växande marknad och en självklarhet för många företag idag. Ett affärssystem kan medföra många fördelar, bland annat kortare ledtider, ökad datakvalitet och effektivare processer. För att genomföra ett så lyckat affärssystemsprojekt som möjligt behöver företag ta vissa faktorer i beaktning. Dessa faktorer kallas kritiska framgångsfaktorer. Denna studie behandlar sju kritiska framgångsfaktorer i syfte att se hur dessa beaktats i praktiken. Framgångsfaktorerna är projektplanering, projektstyrning, användarinvolvering och utbildning, förändringsledning, stöd från ledningen, korrekt data och övervakning och mätning. Vi har kommit fram till dessa genom att studera vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker. Undersökningen har utförts med en kvalitativ ansats där intervjuer genomförts på två företag, med en representant från vardera projektgrupp, som nyligen implementerat ett affärssystem. Även användare av affärssystemet på respektive företag har intervjuats för att få deras synvinkel på affärssystemsprojektet. Resultatet av undersökningen visar på att inget av företagen medvetet har tagit kritiska framgångsfaktorer i beaktning vid deras affärssystemsprojekt. De har inte tänkt på kritiska framgångsfaktorer i den bemärkningen, men ändå tagit hänsyn till vissa av de punkter som vi identifierat i teorin. Den slutsats vi kan dra är att företag kan lyckas med affärssystemsprojekt även om de inte tagit alla kritiska framgångsfaktorer i beaktning. / ERP systems is a growing market and very important for many businesses today. An ERP system can bring many advantages, including shorter lead times, improved data quality and more efficient processes. In order to execute successful ERP projects businesses need to take certain factors into consideration. These factors are called critical success factors. This study addresses seven critical success factors in order to see if these are taken into consideration in a real project. The seven critical success factors are project planning, project management, user involvement and training, change management, top management support, accurate data and monitoring and measuring. We identified these by studying scientific papers and books. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach in which interviews were conducted in two companies, with one representative from each project team, which recently implemented an ERP system. Users of the ERP system at each company were also interviewed to obtain their view on the ERP project. The result of the study shows that none of the companies deliberately took the critical success factors into consideration in their ERP projects. The companies had not thought of critical success factors in those terms but they still took some of the points that we had identified in the theory into consideration. The conclusion is that companies can succeed in ERP projects, even if they don’t take all of the critical success factors into consideration.

This qualitative study was aimed at examining which therapeutic attitudes and procedures it is possible to find regarding obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), to see if there are any specific factors that crystallizes as particularly important for this disorder. A total of ten therapists with different background and experiences concerning OCD participated in the study where semi-structured interviews was used to collect the data. To analyze the data thematic analysis was used. Three main-themes grew from the analysis, which were all related to the study’s overall purpose. The first main-theme was general therapeutic attitudes. Under this theme, there are two sub-themes, personal characteristics of the therapist and degree of knowledge. The second main-theme, therapeutic approaches regarding OCD, also includes two sub-themes, degree of therapeutic distinctiveness and specific treatment interventions. The third main-theme was the treatment results components. This theme also includes two sub-themes, therapeutic factors and choice of method. In the participants’ stories about which therapeutic attitudes and procedures that are important regarding the treatment of people suffering from OCD, several factors became visible. These are connected to a general therapeutic attitude across diagnosis, such as warmth, empathy, and the ability to form an alliance, in addition to several therapeutic factors which are important to OCD specifically, such as experience and maturity, and being creative. The participants also emphasizes to a large degree ERP as the first choice in regards to treatment. Specifically for this study is that one participant emphasizes ACT as the preferred treatment intervention, where ERP did not result in a satisfactory treatment outcome.

In dem Forschungsvorhaben wurde das Konzept eines simulations-basierten Assistenzsystems zur Unterstützung von Disponenten bei der Pflege der Parameter eines ERP-Systems im laufenden Betrieb entwickelt. Anhand einer Ampelgrafik zeigt das Assistenzsystem einem Disponenten Handlungsbedarf bei der Parameterpflege an, sofern durch eine andere Parametereinstellung ein höherer Zielerreichungsgrad für zukünftige Perioden erzielt werden kann. Eine alternative Parametereinstellung wird durch das Assistenzsystem vorgeschlagen.

In this thesis, implementations of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems are studied with a broader view. Pre-implementation preparations and post-implementation developments play key roles in the success of the ERP utilization of the companies. To find out how the success can be achieved, various concepts in ERP implementation are analyzed. Using analogies with the basic software development models, common application methodologies are studied. The study is completed with the analysis of an interesting and challenging ERP implementation experience, focusing on the important decision points.

Esta tesis se centra en el análisis, diseño e implementación de un sistema informático para un centro de idiomas de la ciudad de Huancayo, dado su rápido crecimiento referente a cantidad de alumnado, diversidad de ciclos, número de docentes, que lo caracterizan como un sistema complejo, por lo cual se planteó desarrollar el módulo de caja como parte del Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) educativo para esta organización, que cumpla con características de modularidad, escalabilidad, usabilidad y funcionalidad. Se empleó SCRUM como metodología ágil de desarrollo de software, se requirió de 8 iteraciones, con sprints de 15 días de duración, entregables iterativos e incrementales, que permitieron reducir los riesgos y optimizar el uso de recursos en las actividades designadas. Concluyéndose con esta tesis se logró desarrollar el módulo de Caja, con el objetivo de brindar información oportuna, del que se obtuvo aceptaciones de 38% como totalmente oportuno y 57% oportuno por parte de los usuarios finales. Concluyéndose también que el diseño del módulo de caja del ERP considera la máxima modularidad posible, ya que se ha diseñado pensando en la menor interdependencia entre este módulo y los otros módulos del ERP. Así mismo la implementación del módulo de caja del ERP educativo tiene un tiempo de respuesta aceptable por parte de los usuarios finales y estudiantes, obteniéndose que el 40% de estudiantes refieren que es muy rápido, el 38% refieren que es rápido, el 22% refieren que es regular y con un 0% indican que es lento o muy lento. Finalmente se concluye que se ha mejorado la calidad de atención, ya que se obtuvo un 52% muy bueno, 22% bueno, 10% regular, 10% deficiente y un 6% malo.

222 p. / Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2013-01-10T17:51:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_-_texto_final3.pdf: 2841285 bytes, checksum: b1c740772931bfcd1464107905d0bcb3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-01-10T17:51:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_-_texto_final3.pdf: 2841285 bytes, checksum: b1c740772931bfcd1464107905d0bcb3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / O objetivo deste trabalho é correlacionar a qualidade da gestão da implantação com a avaliação do impacto estratégico de um sistema do tipo Enterprise Resource System (ERP) em uma companhia do setor elétrico do Brasil. A estratégia metodológica escolhida foi o estudo de caso, tendo como objeto a implantação do SAP R/3 na Companhia de Eletricidade do Estado da Bahia (COELBA). Tendo sido adquirida pelo grupo espanhol Iberdrola, em 1997, a companhia engajou-se no processo de implantação do ERP para uniformizar os seus processos e compartilhar melhor a sua informação com a sua nova operadora; logo, porém, a implantação do sistema também se mostrou, como será visto neste trabalho, importante para melhorar o conhecimento da empresa sobre si mesma e, finalmente, alavancar a eficácia operacional, reduzindo custos. Os benefícios da implantação do sistema mostram-se especialmente relevantes considerando-se os fatores críticos de sucesso no setor. Verificou-se, porém, que a implantação da ferramenta não esgotou todo o seu potencial e buscou-se identificar quais foram as causas deste fenômeno. Transformações mais profundas podem ocorrer na organização, para além das já concretizadas, trazendo novos benefícios em diferentes dimensões estratégicas, desde que existam estruturas e iniciativas voltadas para explorá- los. O estudo baseou-se em entrevistas com membros do quadro executivo da companhia, na documentação produzida ao longo do processo de implantação e na análise das informações disponibilizadas na mídia e nos órgãos reguladores a respeito da performance da empresa e do setor elétrico como um todo no país. O framework de análise foi construído a partir de contribuições teóricas nas áreas de gestão da tecnologia da informação, estratégia empresarial e ferramentas de monitoramento e avaliação estratégica, como Balanced Scorecard. / Salvador