Context of this research: The construction industry has a history of client dissatisfaction in the UK. In response, framework agreements have been developed to create relationships between suppliers and clients in order to improve project performance. This research aims to assess whether use of framework agreements can result in significant improvement for performance outcomes without a significant increase in costs when compared with traditional discrete methods, and if so, develop a procurement performance model for realisation and continuous improvement in performance. Research methodology: A literal review of UK Government reports with economic and performance management theories precede a case study set within Hampshire County Council, a major public sector authority, allowing analysis of data from 164 highway maintenance projects by independent samples t-tests. Projects are divided into discrete and framework groups using critical success factors to measure performance differences. In addition to project outcomes, a review of economic performance was undertaken to advance a current ‘gap in professional knowledge’ concerning cost effectiveness of framework agreements. A performance management model is proposed representing impact of operational measures and sociological behaviour factors on suppliers’ performance, tested by qualitative views of experienced practitioners collected through a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. Key findings: Independent-samples t-tests proved that there were significant improvements in performance with use of framework agreements, but that no significant additional costs were incurred. Factor analysis and central tendency statistics from questionnaires and node values from interview transcripts confirmed long-term relationships, financial and non–financial incentives and stronger communication were sociological behaviour factors driving performance for framework agreements. Conclusions from the evidence and findings: As framework agreements can achieve significant performance improvements without a significant increase in costs, this study supports use of framework agreements for Hampshire County Council and professional practice. Value of this research is recognised by both central government and case study organisation alike. In respect of the latter context, case study findings have been included within a regional framework for use by South East authorities until 2016. It is recommended further studies should be conducted on civil and building projects in wider public and private sectors so that construction clients can make informed decisions based upon generalised findings.

This thesis focuses on how small to medium-sized management consultancies internationalise, as this is an under-researched area. Investigation focuses on identifying the factors that facilitate international market success for these small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the challenges they encounter, and how those challenges have been overcome. The relevance of SME internationalisation theories is explored for SME management consultancies in the UK. The study is exploratory, phenomenological and framed within an interpretive research paradigm. Primary data was gathered qualitatively using multiple (9) case studies, collected principally through semi-structured interviews. This empirical research, one of the first to focus solely on SME management consultancies, finds the owner/founders as the key driver of internationalisation. Their past experience enables an international outlook and brings established networks to firm formation. The findings highlight the relevance of intangible resources: the firms’ skills, competencies and networking capabilities, as integral to successful internationalisation. Additional key critical success factors are niche market specialisation, firm reputation, firm location, ability for service provision modification and the role of technology. There are observed firm size-related differences in the challenges these firms face, with smaller-sized firms being more vulnerable to challenges from the external environment, including the 2008 financial crisis. Firms are able to overcome these challenges with the help of their networks. Other challenges stem from the firm’s service provision: difficulty in finding skilled staff and communication with clients. The findings suggest applicability for other knowledge-intensive firms. The research contributes to closing the gap in literature on how firms successfully provide services internationally and in so doing advances theoretical understanding of SME service internationalisation. This theory-building research demonstrates partial relevance of Stage Theory, Networking Theory, and Born Global Theory, but overall the resource-based view was found as the most relevant to understanding the internationalisation process of SME management consultancies. This sets a foundation for further research on the internationalisation process of other knowledge-intensive firms.

Information system projects are gaining immense popularity among the manufacturing organisations across the globe. Due to the challenges associated with the information system project management with the manufacturing organisation, organisations have started focusing on technology-oriented solutions such as Information system (IS) projects. However, the success or failure of these projects is ultimately dependent on a range of critical success factors. The purpose of the research was to investigate the Critical Success Factors (CSF) in an Information System (IS) project using the case of Wartsila, a manufacturing organisation operating in marine and energy sector. For this purpose, a qualitative research method was adopted with semi-structured interviews carried out with the IT manager, the Integration Manager (Int. M), and the project teams involved in the project. Thematic analysis, which was chosen as the appropriate data analysis method, assisted in the identification of several codes that were categorized and finally guided to the extraction of seven (7) key themes. A conceptual framework was drawn from the secondary literature review containing CSF within the two major categories such as subjective and objective CSFs. The set of subjective CSFs included project management and team member, commitment and management support, training, change management perceptions, communication, and project planning and management. On the other side, the set of objective CSFs included the process of redesigning, technological difficulties in system design, costs, time engineering, and quality.   These literature-based factors were simultaneously analysed by the responses of the interviewees, ultimately ending up in the development of a modified and comprehensive framework for the manufacturing organisation. The findings revealed the significance of subjective factor in shaping the accomplishment of objective factors, drive the project towards the success. These findings have further recommended the need for culturally sensitive ‘training’ and integration of formal and informal ‘communication’ methods for the success of the projects in the manufacturing organisations.

The main objective of this thesis is to create a list of critical success factors (CSF) of Business Intelligence implementation in the non-commercial sector and check this list in practice on real projects. Part of the thesis is also the summary of all specifics and differences of BI implementation in public sector and the view of usage possibilities of BI in this sector in relationship on already implemented projects in the Czech Republic so and abroad. The thesis is composed of theoretical and practical part. Theoretical part is focused on problems related to this area, especially analyses the present state of BI in public sector and features specifics and differences related to BI implementation in this area. Further also describes all significant critical success factors of BI implementation in general. Practical part is then aimed on particular verification of Business Intelligence CSFs on real projects realized in non-commercial sector inside of the Czech Republic. As a main tool for obtaining needed and objective information were used managed interviews with competent deputies of submitter (customer) and supplier of particular BI solution. The main contribution of this thesis is determination of differences, but also consistent components of Business Intelligence implementation in non-commercial sector compared to private sector with emphasis on critical success factors. Significant is also the comprehensive view of possibilities and advantages of BI usage in public sector, created by analysis of already implemented projects. These achieved results can be utilized by future (and contemporary) suppliers and submitters of BI projects, but also of other projects from information science area.

The topic of this diploma thesis is "Critical success factors of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises" Firstly, the terms enterprise resource planning system, small and medium sized enterprise and critical factor are defined. Part of this thesis is also dedicated to the importance of those systems in small and medium sized enterprises and the supply of products on the market is described as well. The importance of enterprise resource planning systems for this segment of customers is still growing and the number of products offered is quite wide. Customers have unambiguously preferred Czech solutions. Next part of the thesis contains critical factors literature search -- analysis of two studies. Conceptual model of critical factors is made on the basis of findings and comparison of those two studies. The relevance of this model is verified by the analysis of case studies of enterprise resource planning system implementations in small and medium sized enterprises. These case studies were downloaded from websites of system vendors. On the basis of new findings, new model was designed. Each critical factor is described in each part of the thesis to help understand under which circumstances it was used. Finally, the model is assessed.

由於全球化的浪潮，將市場競爭帶向新的局面，企業不再只尋求短期 的利潤，更傾向與他們的外部競爭者以及內部人員維持長期的合作關係， 以替企業帶來更大利益，這種共生共存的關係，亦即夥伴關係。已有許多 研究發現，發展夥伴關係能為企業帶來益處，學者也找出建立夥伴關係和 夥伴關係演化過程中的關鍵成功因素，或者針對形成夥伴關係的結合力進 行研究，然而，很少有學者提及如何管理夥伴關係，本研究以此觀點出發， 目的在找出供應商夥伴關係管理的重要因素並提出實踐的執行項目，以供 企業評估並改進其供應商夥伴關係管理的流程，另外提出夥伴關係度量 (Partner Relationship Metrics)之概念，讓企業據此分數來選擇供應商夥伴。 本研究首先由17 篇關於夥伴關係的文獻中找出18 個夥伴關係的關鍵 成功因素(Critical Success Factor, CSF)，並在每一關鍵成功因素下，定義若 干個關鍵執行項目(Key Practice Items, KPI)。這些關鍵執行項目都代表著供 應商合作關係中執行的行動，以關鍵成功因素及文獻中學者所提的關鍵結 合力(Bond)形成訪談內容，採取企業訪談法挑選台灣資訊電子製造業供應 鏈中分別屬於零組件供應商、加工製造者以及系統組裝商的六家企業進行 訪談。研究結果顯示，六家企業都認為順應性(Adapatibility)、信任(Trust)、 參與度(Participation)是重要的因素，另外也發現，訪談對象依其企業規模、 屬於買方或賣方市場等因素乃訪談結果有差異的原因之一。 關鍵字：B2B、供應商夥伴關係、關鍵成功因素、夥伴關係度量 / Over the past few years, companies have faced increasing challenges in their relationships with external competitors as well as internal employees. Recent years, managers tend to build a long term, ongoing relationships which are called partnerships. Researches have found that developing partnerships can contribute to the profit of a company and reduce the risk. Some researchers focused on the factors of the successful partnership; others on the bonds between partners. However, studies is lacking on how to manage a partnership. The purpose of this project is to find factors that make a successful supplier partnership and propose some key practice items (KPI) as well. Furthermore, we define partner relationship metrics (PRM) by combing bonds and success factors of partnership to help managers evaluate their supplier partners. This project is based on partnership literatures and business interviews. First, we chose 18 critical success factors (CSF) of the partnership from 17 literatures. Then, we surveyed 6 businesses of Taiwan Information & Electronic Industry and divided them into 3 categories to get the empirical data. We found all companies agree that Adaptability, Trust and Participation are the top 3 important factors in managing their supplier partner relationships. In addition, we discovered that the size of the companies and the one who holds the power in the supplier-buyer relationship influence the research results. Key words: B2B, supplier partner relationship, critical success factor (CSF), partner relationship metrics (PRM)

ERP系統是目前相當熱門的資訊科技，應用的層面很廣，不僅各大企業已經相繼實施，就連中小企業也可以選擇較為精簡的版本導入。而企業實施ERP系統，不可能一次就全部導入實施所有的模組，這樣做不管在費用上或者是在時程上的安排都是不可行的，因此企業常常會先實施某些跟企業核心競爭力有關的模組，而生產模組就常常是企業首次導入的模組之一，因此本研究的重心就是生產模組。 本研究針對企業的實際需求來找出現行ERP系統在生產模組的不足之處以及國內企業實施ERP系統時，在生產策略規劃這方面有那些地方是需要注意的。很多企業都實施了不錯的模組，為何成效卻不好？到底是出現了何種問題？本研究將從策略規劃、IT架構與ERP運作這三個構面來尋找企業實施ERP的關鍵成功因素，希望企業能夠在實施ERP系統時能掌握到這些因素，發揮ERP系統的效能，提昇企業的競爭力。 本研究將關鍵成功因素分成三大構面，是以生產模組為例。研究架構分成策略規劃(這邊所提到的策略規劃偏重於生產策略規劃)、IT架構與ERP運作這三個研究構面，三個構面雖是分開羅列，但是彼此之間卻是密切相關，互相影響。每個構面又有數個關鍵成功因素，這些關鍵成功因素就是本研究所要探討的研究變數。 本研究採用個案研究法，研究對象是一家製帽公司。本研究除了深入訪談個案公司的人員之外，也訪問了協助個案公司建置ERP系統的資訊公司人員。在深入訪談之外，本研究閱讀了ERP實施過程的相關資料文件，並且實地觀察ERP系統生產模組的運作過程，藉以能夠更深入了解個案公司。在個案公司研究完畢之後，對個案公司提出幾點建議，這些建議分成四個部分來說明，並發現幾個可供思考的問題與方向。 本研究經過個案研究之後，初步篩選出九個關鍵因素，經過探討之後將九個因素整合成六個因素，使其更具普遍性，適合更多的製造業公司。另外本研究從企業策略、ERP建置以及IT架構這三個層面來說明企業實施ERP系統需要注意、掌握的幾個重點。企業要設法去掌握關鍵成功因素，去除會導致失敗的原因，如此才能達到成功的目標。最後本研究針對企業實施ERP系統(本研究的重心是在生產模組)的過程提出幾點建議，並且列出幾個後續研究方向。