This thesis investigates Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) adoption and implementation in Service Sector Organisations (SSOs). ERP is a business management system that has emerged to support organisations to use a system of integrated applications to enhance their Information Technology (IT) infrastructures, enhance business processes and deliver high quality of services. Regardless of the fact that several other sector organisations have adopted and implemented ERP systems, its application in SSOs is rather inadequate. Among other reasons, two core rationales can be attributed to the latter fact – firstly, SSOs lack the sufficient knowledge, expertise and training to implement such sophisticated integrated systems and secondly, the top management lacks the ability to take appropriate decisions for ERP adoption and implementation. However, merely focusing on a number of factors influencing ERP adoption and implementation may not be suffice, as there is a need for a systematic decision-making process for adopting and implementing ERP systems in SSOs. The limited number of ERP systems’ applications in SSOs has resulted in inadequate research in this area with many issues, like its adoption and implementation requiring further exploration. Despite, the implications of ERP systems have yet to be assessed in SSOs, leaving ample scope for relevance and producing a unique piece of research work. Thus, the author demonstrates that it is of high importance to investigate this area within SSOs and contribute towards successful ERP adoption and implementation. This thesis makes a step forward and contributes to the body of knowledge as it: investigates factors influencing the decision-making process for ERP adoption and implementation in SSOs, prioritises the importance of factors influencing ERP adoption and implementation, evaluates ERP lifecycle phases and stages, maps the ERP factors on different phases and stages of the ERP lifecycle, and in doing so, to propose a model for ERP adoption and implementation in SSOs. The author claims that such an ERP adoption and implementation process in SSOs is significant and novel as: it extends established norms for ERP adoption and implementation, by including Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique for prioritising the importance of factors, thus, facilitating SSOs to produce more robust proposals for ERP adoption and implementation. The author further assess the proposed ERP adoption and implementation model by using a qualitative, interpretive, multiple case study research strategy. Findings from two case studies demonstrate that such a systematic approach contributes towards more robust decisions for ERP adoption and implementation and indicates that it is acceptable by the case study organisations. The thesis proposes, assesses and presents a novel model for ERP adoption and implementation in SSOs and contributes to the body of knowledge by extending the literature.

Den här uppsatsen baseras på studie som genomfördes på ett fallföretag under vårterminen 2015. Fallföretaget är Nordens största e-handelsbolag och har cirka 150 anställda. Studien baseras på flertalet hypoteser som skapats utifrån kritiska framgångsfaktorer. En kritisk framgångsfaktor kan ses som ett viktigt område att ta hänsyn till för att uppnå organisatorisk framgång. Ett informationslogistiskt perspektiv har präglat den här undersökningen. Informationslogistik handlar om att se innebörden av information samt sätta den i organisatoriska, tekniska samt logistiska sammanhang. Lindstedt (2014) påpekar att Amazon kommer att finnas på den svenska marknaden inom ett par år. Det är viktigt att svenska e-handelsbolag stärker konkurrenskraften. Affärssystem har enligt Beynon-Davies (2009) en betydande roll då organisationens processer och kommunikationskanaler påverkas av det. Wallström (2015) betonar att affärssystem blir allt mer centralt i organisationen då förståelsen för affärssystemen ökar. Tidigare forskning genomförd av Holland & Light (1999) påvisar bland annat att involvering av anställda och användning av öppna kommunikationskanaler är två betydande kritiska framgångsfaktorer vid implementering av affärssystem.   Studies syfte var att undersöka kritiska framgångsfaktorer med avseende på kommunikation vid implementering av affärssystem. Studiens teoretiska ramverk består av tre teorier och litteratur om kritiska framgångsfaktorer. Teorierna grundas i sociologi, informatik och kommunikation.   Undersökningen har genomförts med Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods. Syftet med metoden var att verifiera eller falsifiera sex stycken hypoteser och att undersöka studiens praktiska samt vetenskapliga problem. Resultatet presenteras i form av sammanfattade intervjuer och stapeldiagram. Resultatet analyserades sedan mot det teoretiska ramverket och diskuteras gentemot vetenskapliga teorier, tidigare forskning och problemformulering. Studiens hypoteser är följande:   Projektledningens engagemang - Att projektledningen inte anammar projektet. Informationsflöde - Att informationsflödet är bristfälligt och inte uppdaterat. Involvering av anställda - Att anställda inte involveras på grund av tidsbrist. Strategi och planering - Att realistiska deadlines och ständig uppföljning uteblir. Identifiering av befattningar - Att det är otydligt vilka som ingår i projektet och vilka befattningar de har. Förstå kontexten av projektet samt e-handelsorganisationen - Att det finns otydliga definitioner av syfte, mål och vision.   Utifrån diskussionen har fyra av sex hypoteser verifierats. / This thesis is based on a study that was conducted on a company during the spring semester of 2015. The company is the largest eCommerce business of the Nordic countries, and approximately has 150 employees. This study, which has an information logistics perspective, is based on several hypotheses that are founded in Critical Success Factors. A Critical Success Factor can be considered as an important area for an organization’s success. Information logistics clarifies the meaning of information, as well as putting information in an organizational, technical and logistical context.   Due to Amazons entrance to the Swedish market, Lindstedt (2014) clarifies the importance that Swedish eCommerce businesses confirm their competitiveness. Beynon-Davies (2009) consider ERP-systems to be important to organizations since they are affecting the internal processes and communication channels. Wallström (2015) claims that ERP-systems are becoming more consequential to an organization as the understanding of the ERP-systems are increasing. The purpose of this study was to explore Critical Success Factors with focus on communication within an implementation of an ERP-system. The theoretical framework that was used in this study contains three theories and literature about Critical Success Factors. The theories are based on sociology, informatics and communication. The study has been conducted with an Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method. The choice of method is based on the aims of this study.  The aims were to verify or falsify six hypotheses, and also to inquire into the study’s practical and scientific problem. The outcome of this study is presented by summarized interviews and barographs. The result are then analysed and compared to the theoretical framework, and also discussed against scientific theories, previous research, and problem definition.    The hypotheses are the following: Project Management commitment - The project management does not embrace the project. Information flow - The flow of information is inadequate and not updated. Involvement of employees - The employees are not involved due to lack of time. Strategy and planning - Realistic deadlines and constant follow-up are absent. Identification of roles - That the project group is obscure and also what positions they have Understanding the project context as well as eCommerce organization - That there are obscure definitions of purposes, goals and visions.   Due to the discussion, four out of six hypotheses were verified.