Organizations expend a great deal of time, effort and money on the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. They are considered the price of entry for large organizations to do business. Yet the success rate of ERP systems is poor. IS literature suggests that one possible reason for this is the underutilization of these systems. Existing ERP literature is replete with research to improve ERP project implementation success; however, notably absent from these streams is the research that identifies how ERP systems are utilized by individuals or organizations. This dissertation posits that increased ERP utilization can result from increased software and business process understanding gained from both formal training and experiential interventions. New dimensions of system utilization (required vs. optional) are proposed. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how these interventions impact ERP utilization. The results of this dissertation show that while software-training interventions are important to understanding, it is the business process training interventions that seem to provide the greater effect on understanding. This increased understanding positively affects utilization scenarios where a mixture (required vs. optional) of software features and business process tasks can be leveraged by end-users. The improved understanding of post-adoptive ERP utilization gained from this study benefits both researchers and practitioners.

With increased age, some individuals experience cognitive declines that are more severe than what is observed in healthy cognitive aging. This decline may be related to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Much of the current research on dementia attempts to detect subtle cognitive and memory declines before behavioral and cognitive symptoms are more apparent. Intense research interest has focused on MCI, a condition that includes impairment in some areas of cognitive functioning but is not severe enough to warrant the diagnosis of dementia. MCI may represent a transitional stage between healthy aging and AD and is considered a risk factor for AD development. The purpose of the present thesis was to examine if EEG and ERPs can be used as reliable predictors of cognitive changes in aging and MCI. Study 1 was designed to examine if there is evidence of changes in the EEG between cognitively healthy older adults and people with MCI. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in EEG activity between healthy older adults and people with MCI during early and late portions of a longer-than-normal resting-state recording. Resting state recordings typically last 1-3 minutes. It would be advantageous to run a longer testing session because this would provide more data, but such a procedure might be problematic because it might result in increased drowsiness in the latter half of testing. If this drowsiness affected those with MCI more than healthy adults, this might produce artifactual differences between groups. If increased drowsiness occurs as the duration of the recording becomes longer, an increase of low-frequency EEG activity should be observed, particularly in the delta band. Resting state EEG was recorded in 20 healthy older adults and 20 people with MCI who rested with their eyes closed. The EEG recording was divided into two three-minute halves. People with MCI exhibited a significant increase in theta power density over posterior regions of the scalp compared to healthy older adults. Power density for all frequency bands did not change over the two halves of the recording. That is, there was little evidence of drowsiness in the second half of the recording. Taken together, these findings indicate that longer resting-state EEG recording can be reliably employed without increased risk of drowsiness. Study 2 examined whether there is evidence of a dysfunction in the salience network in older adults. Previous research suggests that older adults may be less able to compute the level of salience of unattended stimulus inputs. The transient detector system is a specialized network of brain areas for detecting sudden changes in the intensity of an auditory stimulus. The output of this system, as reflected by the auditory ERP components N1 and P2, provides a measure of the level of salience of the stimulus. Twenty younger adults and healthy older adults participated in this study. A single auditory stimulus was presented rapidly, every 1.5 s, or very slowly, every 12 s, in different conditions. When the stimuli were presented rapidly, group differences were not observed for the amplitudes of N1 and P2, peaking at 100 and 180 ms, respectively. When stimuli were presented very slowly, their amplitudes were greatly enhanced for younger adults but did not increase for older adults. The failure to observe a large increase in the amplitude of N1 and P2 in older adults for very slowly presented stimuli provides strong evidence of a dysfunction of the salience network in this group. There is evidence that both the functioning of salience network and the frontoparietal network deteriorate in cognitively healthy older adults. These networks might further deteriorate in people with MCI. In study 2, when stimuli were presented slowly, the P2 was delayed and peaked at a time that is more consistent with a P3a. The P3a is elicited by a potentially highly salient, but unattended stimulus input that interrupts the functioning of the frontoparietal network, resulting in a switch of processing priorities away from current task demands and toward the processing of the stimulus input. In study 3, auditory stimuli were again presented either rapidly or very slowly to 20 healthy older adults and 20 people with MCI. The amplitude of N1 did not differ between the two groups in either the fast or slow conditions. Thus, there is little evidence that people with MCI have a deficit in computing the salience of unattended auditory stimuli. When stimuli were presented slowly, the P2/P3a was significantly smaller in people with MCI compared to healthy older adults. The attenuated P2/P3a in people with MCI may reflect a reduced frontoparietal ability to determine processing priorities. In people with MCI, priority of processing may not be switched from the ongoing cognitive task to the potentially much more relevant auditory input. In the results of studies 2 and 3, there was ambiguity regarding whether the positivity observed in the slow condition reflected P2 or P3a activity. A more definite P3a had been elicited in oddball paradigms. In the oddball paradigm, the participant is presented with a sequence of frequently presented homogenous standard stimuli. At rare and unpredictable times, a deviant is presented, the deviant representing a change in a feature of the standard. Deviants that represent a large change from the standard may elicit a P3a. Two experiments were run in which at least one of the deviants had previously been shown to elicit a large P3a in younger adults. Study 4 consisted of two experiments. In Experiment 1, the deviants represented either decreases or increases in the intensity of the standard. The deviant that represented an increase in intensity has been found to elicit a large P3a in previous studies. In Experiment 2, six different deviants were presented. The deviants included a white noise burst and environmental sounds, both of which have elicited a large P3a in previous studies. Across both experiments, the MMN/DRN and P3a did not differ between healthy older adults and people with MCI. Previous studies have indicated that the P3a is reduced in amplitude in healthy older adults compared to younger adults. The results of study 4 indicate that the P3a was not further reduced in people with MCI. This is in contrast to study 3 in which the P2/P3a was reduced in people with MCI. This could be because of the use of the oddball paradigm in study 4. Detection of the deviant would be carried out, at least in part, by the change detection system while in study 3, the presentation of a single stimulus would have been detected only by the transient detection system. Operations of the frontoparietal network controlling processing priorities can be interrupted by sufficient output from either the transient or change detector systems. This results in a switch of processing from an ongoing task to the processing of the potentially more relevant stimulus input. When this interrupt is sent from the change detection system, the operations of the frontoparietal network do not appear to deteriorate in people with MCI compared to what is observed in cognitively healthy older adults.

No description available.

Current trends in ERP system were studied by conducting research and analyzes to see to what degree are current ERP trends reflected in existing ERP solutions that are being developed by both Czech and multinational vendors. For the purposes of the research a set of hypotheses was formulated and used to analyze the selected solutions. The research found two trends that are represented in the majority of selected ERP solutions. The application of cloud computing technology and the suitability to use particular solutions as two-tiered ERP. It was also found that all researched vendors to a certain degree implement the principles of Green ICT, although no vendor specifically labeled their software as Green ERP. It was also found that the term Social ERP doesn't appear to be an acceptable term for ERP vendors, although Social ERP functionality of some degree was found to be present in ERP solutions from multinational vendors.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal, demonstrar como são escolhidos, implantados e utilizados os sistemas ERP pelas pequenas e médias empresas da cadeia de suprimentos das indústrias de autopeças de uma cidade do interior de São Paulo; corresponde a uma pesquisa de caráter quantitativo e qualitativo combinados sobre Sistemas ERP implantados ou em fase de implantação; foi realizado um amplo levantamento bibliográfico que aborda vários assuntos relacionados aos sistemas ERP, 24 empresas sindicalizadas foram visitadas, para a aplicação de um questionário que permitiu identificar várias características dos sistemas ERP nestas empresas, como conclusão do trabalho, observações foram feitas em relação à implantação, principalmente quanto a diferente realidade das industrias de pequeno e médio porte em relação a literatura encontrada, aos elementos tecnológicos, humanos, gerenciais e gerais do Sistema ERP, contemplando também sugestões para os próximos trabalhos na área como por exemplo, a evolução da literatura sobre ERP em três vertentes: Ciclo de vida dos sistemas ERP; papel a ser desempenhado dentro do contexto empresarial e a divisão da literatura em: Implantação, estrutura e assuntos complementares de sistemas ERP e modelos de sistemas ERP. Como a pesquisa segue a linha de raciocínio de outras pesquisa que não consideram o seguimento da organização, pode-se utilizar os resultados para outros seguimentos apenas garantindo que as empresas estudadas sejam de pequeno e médio porte. / The main goal of this dissertation, is to demonstrate how are chosen, implanted and used the ERP systems for the small and medium companies of the supply chain auto parts industry from a city outside region of São Paulo; corresponding a combination of qualitative and quantitative research about ERP System implanted or in process of implementation; it was used a large bibliography that contain various topics related to ERP systems, 24 companies that are members of union were visited, to apply a questionnaire, allowing the identification of several characteristics of ERP systems in those companies, as the conclusion of this dissertation, observations were made related to the implementation, mainly about the difference of the reality in the small and medium companies related with the literature found, with the technological elements, human, management and general of the ERP System, also containing suggestions for following researches, as an example, the evolution of the ERP literature in three main subjects: Lifecycle of ERP Systems, the function to be developed in business context and the division of the literature in: Implementation, structure and complementary subjects of ERP Systems and models of ERP Systems. As the research follow the same direction of other researches, that do not consider the segment of the organization, it is allowed to use the results to other segments, only with the guarantee that the companies are small or medium size.

A decisão sobre implementar ou não um ERP (Sistema de Integrado de Gestão), conforme constatado na literatura consultada, não é apenas uma questão de tecnologia, mas fundamentalmente uma questão de estratégia; isso porque sua implementação demanda profundas mudanças na organização. De acordo com os resultados de algumas pesquisas já publicadas, especificamente na área de Contabilidade das organizações, a implementação do ERP provoca mudanças. Diante disso, esta pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de compreender e descrever a influência da implantação do ERP nos aspectos organizacionais da área de Contabilidade das empresas, mais precisamente no que se refere às mudanças na estrutura organizacional, às atividades desenvolvidas e aos conhecimentos e habilidades exigidos para a execução das atividades. Em atenção aos propósitos da pesquisa, o trabalho foi construído por meio de uma abordagem metodológica empírico-analítica com a condução de Estudos de Casos nas empresas do Estado do Paraná. Para tanto, foram analisados dois casos referentes a empresas que implementaram o ERP R/3 do fornecedor SAP. A análise dos dados indica que a implementação do ERP provoca, na área de Contabilidade das empresas, alterações na estrutura organizacional, nas atividades e nos conhecimentos e habilidades. As alterações verificadas na estrutura organizacional referem-se ao design organizacional, à estrutura de cargos e ao quadro de funcionários. Quanto às atividades, as alterações estão relacionadas ao tipo de atividade desenvolvida na área (inclusão ou exclusão) e à forma de desenvolvê-las. Com relação aos conhecimentos e habilidades, as alterações dizem respeito aos conhecimentos gerais, técnicos, habilidades intelectuais, interpessoais e de comunicação. Porém, depreende-se da análise dos dados, que a implementação de um ERP influencia mais diretamente as atividades e, como conseqüência, a estrutura organizacional e os conhecimentos e habilidades sofrem reflexos e precisam ser ajustados, ou seja, a intensidade das alterações na estrutura organizacional e nos conhecimentos e habilidades está relacionada à profundidade das mudanças ocorridas nas atividades. Todavia, embora o ERP tenha potencial para alterar as atividades, as mudanças variam de empresa para empresa, pois a implementação do ERP, por si, não promove sempre as mesmas mudanças; a natureza e a profundidade das mudanças dependem das decisões tomadas pelos responsáveis pela empresa e pela equipe de projeto, durante a fase de implementação do ERP e também posteriormente, quando o sistema já está sendo utilizado. / According to literature in the area, the decision about whether or not to implement ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is not a matter of technology alone, but rather, a matter of strategy, since its implementation requires deep changes in the organization. Still according to research already published, this implementation generates deep changes in the area of accounting of organizations as well. Due to this fact, this research was carried out aiming at understanding and describing the influence of the implementation of ERP on the organizational aspects in the area of accounting of enterprises, particularly in what concerns the changes in structure, activities developed, besides knowledge and abilities required for the carrying out of tasks. Seeking to achieve the purpose of this research, the procedures followed an empirical analytical methodological approach as a guideline to Case Studies carried out in enterprises in the State of Paraná. The analysis took into account two cases of enterprises that implemented ERP R/3 by SAP (supplier of software solutions for enterprises). The analysis of data shows that the implementation of ERP gives rise to changes not only in the organizational structure but also in activities and in knowledge and abilities within the accounting area of enterprises. The changes found within the organizational structure allude to organizational design, job designs and personnel. As far as activities go, changes are related to the kind of activity performed in the area (inclusion or exclusion), and to the way of performing them. Concerning knowledge and abilities, changes regard general and technical knowledge, and intellectual, interpersonal and communicative abilities. Nevertheless, the analysis of data leads to the understanding of the fact that ERP implementation acts more directly upon activities; thus, both the organizational structure and knowledge and abilities are affected as well, and need adjustments; that is to say, the intensity of changes operating on the organizational structure and on knowledge and abilities is related to the depth of the changes that have an effect on the activities. However, although ERP has the potential to alter activities, changes vary among enterprises, since the implementation itself does not always promote the same changes; both nature and depth of changes depend on decisions made by those responsible for the business and by the group in charge of the project, and not only during but also after ERP implementation, when the system is already in action.

Diplomová práce pojednává o implementaci ERP systémů do středně velkých firem. Zabývá se celým procesem implementace od přípravy projektu, přes výběrové řízení, implementaci ERP systému až po rutinní provoz, a to se zaměřením na specifika a rizika ERP projektů. V praktické části se zabývá konkrétním projektem implementace SAP R/3 do podniku Soluziona, s.r.o.

No description available.

For many medium and small enterprises, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) has been a mature solution as a main application system. It is not only to support organizational internal operation but also business between corporations. However, this solution is usually complicate and expensive. Prior research has indicated that about three quarters of the attempted ERP projects turned out to be unsuccessful. A common problem encountered in adopting an ERP package has been the issue of project delay. In many cases, lack of project auditing is the main reason for project delay. This study proposes a methodology, enhanced from Wu (2008) and integrates it with auditing to address the above problem. The enhanced methodology includes eight steps: Implementation Plan, Monitor, Training, Operation Analysis, Solution plan, System tailoring to ready, Pilot Run, Officially online and efficiency evaluation. Three cases are used to demonstrate the usability of proposed methodology. It helps to identify and resolve the potential problems for each ERP implementation process systematically and thereby increase the probability of ERP implementation success.

<p>Companies are always trying to enhance their functioning to achieve a competitive advantage in a given market. Some of the tools that are used to improve organizational functioning include ERP systems. In fact, ERP systems are becoming very popular among firms, to the point where they are considered by some as an ailing business savior. Nevertheless, despite the attractive functions that an ERP system may display to an interested company, implementing such a system successfully is a task that is far from being easy. Several problems may arise in the implementation phase, and a failure to address them correctly can have terrible consequences on the general functioning of a firm. Two of the main factors that contribute to a failed ERP system implementation are training and resistance to change. A tool that may actually help with the ERP system implementation failure is ERP simulation.</p><p>The main purpose of this thesis is to study the potential effect that ERP simulations can have on a potential ERP system user skills and knowledge, and thereafter find the potential impact that they may have while being used during an ERP implementation to facilitate training and reduce resistance to change.</p><p>The tools that were used to successfully accomplish this research were a personal interview with an ERP simulation expert, a detailed survey with ERP simulation participants, and various information that were collected from books, articles, reports and websites.</p><p>This thesis main results show that ERP simulations can enable ERP users to improve their knowledge of ERP systems effectively, and also have potential to contribute during the implementation phase by reducing the possible problems that may arise from the training and the resistance to    change perspectives.</p>