Abstract The development of information technology has progressed and hence, brings to huge conflict on business models in enterprises in the 21 century. However, the introduction of information technology not only involves purchase equipments but also operation processes and managers¡¦ decisions. To successfully introduce a new information system, it is necessary to consider many concepts of organization and management, such as a company¡¦s strategies, managers¡¦ commitments, and communication among different departments and so on. The construction industry is one of important index in a nation economic structure. This industry can push the development of national economics forward, and it is been seen as the head of industry. This study takes the D construction company as an example to discuss the process of introducing ERP system and the faced problems of reengineering. Indeed, this study also referred developed performance indexes to measure how employees feel about the introduction the new ERP system. The results showed that the introduction of an ERP system involves the cooperation among different departments. While a company is introducing an ERP system, there are many types of organization changes and lead to huge conflict. Therefore, the company should develop a team to manage the project, be responsible to manage changes, and strength employees¡¦ trainings. Finally, a company must be sure it is ready to introduce an ERP system for all members in this company.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems claim to provide organisations with an integrated Information Technology (IT) solution that can be used as an effective business tool with real-time information of all business transactions at the managers' fingertips. ERP software attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that runs off one database and can serve the needs of all the different departments in the company. The investment in an IT solution that will provide strategic information to aid in strategy formulation and decision-making should be part of strategic planning. In short, the ERP system should add to a company's strategic advantage. The challenge to an organisation is to use ERP to leverage opportunities in the competitive environment in order to create value. If a resource view is taken of ERP systems, strategy theory describes the way that an organisation should go about achieving strategic advantage. The IT resource in itself cannot be the basis for competitive advantage in a manufacturing industry. The resource is available to all competitors. The nature of ERP systems however supports the creation of distinctive competences in the organisation through organisational learning. The enhanced capabilities of the organisation, combined with its superior resources form the basis of distinctive competencies that in turn lead to value creation through the advantages created. The test for strategic advantage is to evaluate the strategic options or choices against consistency, consonance, advantage and feasibility. The model for evaluating strategy can also be applied to the planned ERP implementation or to enterprise systems already implemented. This model is based on strategic evaluation and support the process of continuous evaluation and change to respond to triggers in the competitive environment the organisation operates in. In order for ERP systems to add value in the organisation, their implementation must satisfy the strategic evaluation criteria, and continuous business process improvement will follow subsequent evaluation in order to adjust to the changing environment. / Thesis (MBA) University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Bond University, 2007. / "Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-159). Also available via the World Wide web.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:56:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo3098_1.pdf: 2085382 bytes, checksum: 66e9e8f35593b02a8dd942a7398f086a (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / A crescente globalização dos negócios estimula que as empresas deixem de operar em um ambiente puramente competitivo e passem a estabelecer alianças para atuar como parceiros com o objetivo de agregar valor aos seus produtos e serviços. Diante deste cenário, os investimentos em Tecnologia da Informação estão sempre crescentes, porém, as organizações já compreenderam que a tecnologia em si não pode resolver todos os problemas organizacionais e que a introdução da tecnologia resulta em mudança. O impacto da mudança depende de como as novas tecnologias irão afetar o ambiente e a cultura organizacional. Por esse motivo, inúmeras empresas começaram a adotar abordagens planejadas para integração de seus Sistemas de Informação (SI), buscando novos métodos para ajudar a alinhar os SI à estratégia da organização e obter melhores resultados com isso. Atualmente, empresas de diversas áreas estão adquirindo soluções de software disponíveis no mercado. Uma das principais soluções de software adquiridas são os sistemas Enterprise Resource Planning ERP. Em particular, nas médias e grandes organizações, o ERP sozinho não consegue realizar em plenitude a sua missão, ele precisa integrar-se a outros sistemas de informação da própria empresa ou a sistemas de outras empresas para que a informação flua em toda a cadeia produtiva. Durante o processo de integração desses produtos de software, surgem inúmeros desafios, tais como: coordenar equipes de empresas distintas, manter a comunicação ativa entre as partes interessadas e organizar testes integrados. Com o objetivo de entender este problema, através de uma visão bastante prática e real realizamos um estudo empírico com uma empresa brasileira desenvolvedora de produto ERP. Esta dissertação apresenta o PIE (Process oriented Integration of ERP), uma proposta para sistematizar o processo de integração entre produto ERP e outros produtos de software. A principal contribuição do processo de integração proposto é garantir a gestão eficiente dos processos de negócio em ambientes colaborativos. Em particular, espera-se que uma abordagem sistemática para o processo de integração seja capaz de aumentar a transparência e a disponibilidade de informações, contribuindo assim para alinhar os objetivos do negócio com as soluções tecnológicas

During the 90`s, the world watched an expressive growth of the ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning) on the information technology market. Among the explanations for issue are the pressure caused by the enterprises competition, which forces them to find alternative ways that leads to cost reduction and products and services differentiation and innovation. This will force them to review how they work and they processes. The purpose of this document is to analyze the impact that a chosen ERP system can cause on organizations. In its bibliographical research, this document presents concepts related to Technological Innovation, Information Technology, ERP and change management, always trying to connect all of these subjects together regarding an ERP system implementation, observing the impacts caused and the productivity factors. The empiricists data was achieved during a case study on an ERP system implementation on a local industrial company located at the Vale do Paraíba region. Among the results obtained by this case study, the facts that distinguishes the most are the analysis of the influence in the way the beginning of operation of the systems in the stages of implementation and stabilization and, mainly, the management of the changes and impacts caused for this implementation. / Os anos 90 assistiram ao surgimento e a um expressivo crescimento dos sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning ou Planejamento dos Recursos Empresariais) no mercado de soluções de informática. Entre as explicações para esse fenômeno estão as pressões competitivas sofridas pelas empresas, que as obrigam a buscar alternativas para redução de custos, inovação e diferenciação de produtos e serviços, forçando-as a reverem seus processos e suas maneiras de trabalhar. Esse estudo tem como objetivo analisar os impactos organizacionais ocasionados pela adoção de um sistema ERP. Em seu levantamento bibliográfico, este trabalho apresenta conceitos relacionados à Inovação Tecnológica, Tecnologia da Informação, ERP e Gestão da Mudança, buscando embasar a ligação existente entre todos esses assuntos quanto à implantação de um sistema ERP, observando os impactos ocasionados e o fator produtividade. Os dados empíricos foram levantados a partir de um estudo de caso de implantação de um sistema ERP por uma empresa do setor industrial localizada na região paulista do Vale do Paraíba. Entre os resultados obtidos por este estudo de caso, destacam-se a análise de influência do modo de início de operação dos sistemas nas etapas de implementação e estabilização e, principalmente, a gestão das mudanças e impactos causados por esta implementação.

A temática deste estudo recai sobre as tecnologias da informação e a organização do processo de trabalho, uma das inúmeras dimensões das relações de trabalho. O objetivo estabelecido foi analisar as transformações verificadas em alguns padrões de relacionamento profissional pré-estabelecidos no interior de uma organização quando da introdução de um Sistema Integrado de Gestão (SIG). A principal questão investigada foi como reestruturar o processo de trabalho de uma empresa, em função da implantação de um SIG, de forma a atender simultaneamente aos anseios das pessoas ? por melhores condições de trabalho e desenvolvimento profissional ? e da organização ? por maior controle, eficiência, redução de custos, retenção e disponibilidade de informações de negócios. Para essa investigação, a principal fonte de informação utilizada foi a percepção dos trabalhadores envolvidos no desenvolvimento, na implantação e na utilização do SIG. O método preferencial foi o qualitativo, conduzido através de uma pesquisa exploratória, composta de levantamento bibliográfico, documental e entrevistas com roteiro pré-estruturado. O principal caso adotado para estudo foi o da subsidiária brasileira de uma empresa transnacional, que vivenciou a implantação de um SIG no final da década de 1990, simultaneamente ao seu processo de privatização. Foram entrevistadas pessoas das duas organizações envolvidas na implantação do sistema, permitindo o cruzamento das percepções de dois grupos distintos de profissionais: os consultores ? colaboradores da empresa contratada para implantar o sistema ? e os usuários ? colaboradores da empresa contratante, responsáveis pela configuração do sistema. Utilizou-se na pesquisa uma amostragem não probabilística, composta por facilidade de acesso, sem a intenção, portanto, de afirmar que os resultados obtidos neste estudo de caso sejam representativos de todo o universo de possibilidades de estudo. Os resultados obtidos mostram pontos de convergência e pontos de discordância de opiniões, tanto entre os níveis hierárquicos de uma mesma organização, como entre os níveis operacionais ou gerenciais das duas empresas envolvidas no estudo. Além disso, indicam que a implantação de um SIG implica transformações organizacionais significativas, com desdobramentos no ambiente de trabalho, nas relações entre as pessoas, na capacitação profissional dos trabalhadores e na composição ocupacional da organização, que deveriam ser tratadas através de uma abordagem sociotécnica. / This study regards to information technology and labor relations. The main goal of such research was to analyze the transformations arise within some patterns of pre-stablished professional relationships inside a organization, after the introduction of a new thecnology, such as a Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP). The great question to be investigated was what is to be done in order to simultaneously attend to the employees? and the company?s interests, based upon the belief that the comprehension of the personnel?s perception on the process of development and implementation of an ERP serves both to the academy and the market. The preferential research method applied was the observation, conducted throughout an exploratory research, based upon bibliography, documentation and pre-structured interviews. The adopted case of study refers to the Brazilian subsidiary of a transnational company, which experienced the implementation of an ERP simultaneously with its process of privatization, by the late 1990?s. People from two organizations involved in the same process of system implementation were interviewed, allowing the comparison between two different groups of professionals -- the consultants, hired for developing and implementing the system, and the users, responsible for providing information to configure the ERP. The sample used on the research is non-probabilistic, composed by the accessibility criteria. There is no intention of affirming that the hereby results are representative for the entire possible universe of research. The hereby results demonstrate point of perception agreement and points of perception discordance, either within the different hierarchy levels of the same organization, or within same levels of different organizations.

A temática deste estudo recai sobre as tecnologias da informação e a organização do processo de trabalho, uma das inúmeras dimensões das relações de trabalho. O objetivo estabelecido foi analisar as transformações verificadas em alguns padrões de relacionamento profissional pré-estabelecidos no interior de uma organização quando da introdução de um Sistema Integrado de Gestão (SIG). A principal questão investigada foi como reestruturar o processo de trabalho de uma empresa, em função da implantação de um SIG, de forma a atender simultaneamente aos anseios das pessoas ? por melhores condições de trabalho e desenvolvimento profissional ? e da organização ? por maior controle, eficiência, redução de custos, retenção e disponibilidade de informações de negócios. Para essa investigação, a principal fonte de informação utilizada foi a percepção dos trabalhadores envolvidos no desenvolvimento, na implantação e na utilização do SIG. O método preferencial foi o qualitativo, conduzido através de uma pesquisa exploratória, composta de levantamento bibliográfico, documental e entrevistas com roteiro pré-estruturado. O principal caso adotado para estudo foi o da subsidiária brasileira de uma empresa transnacional, que vivenciou a implantação de um SIG no final da década de 1990, simultaneamente ao seu processo de privatização. Foram entrevistadas pessoas das duas organizações envolvidas na implantação do sistema, permitindo o cruzamento das percepções de dois grupos distintos de profissionais: os consultores ? colaboradores da empresa contratada para implantar o sistema ? e os usuários ? colaboradores da empresa contratante, responsáveis pela configuração do sistema. Utilizou-se na pesquisa uma amostragem não probabilística, composta por facilidade de acesso, sem a intenção, portanto, de afirmar que os resultados obtidos neste estudo de caso sejam representativos de todo o universo de possibilidades de estudo. Os resultados obtidos mostram pontos de convergência e pontos de discordância de opiniões, tanto entre os níveis hierárquicos de uma mesma organização, como entre os níveis operacionais ou gerenciais das duas empresas envolvidas no estudo. Além disso, indicam que a implantação de um SIG implica transformações organizacionais significativas, com desdobramentos no ambiente de trabalho, nas relações entre as pessoas, na capacitação profissional dos trabalhadores e na composição ocupacional da organização, que deveriam ser tratadas através de uma abordagem sociotécnica. / This study regards to information technology and labor relations. The main goal of such research was to analyze the transformations arise within some patterns of pre-stablished professional relationships inside a organization, after the introduction of a new thecnology, such as a Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP). The great question to be investigated was what is to be done in order to simultaneously attend to the employees? and the company?s interests, based upon the belief that the comprehension of the personnel?s perception on the process of development and implementation of an ERP serves both to the academy and the market. The preferential research method applied was the observation, conducted throughout an exploratory research, based upon bibliography, documentation and pre-structured interviews. The adopted case of study refers to the Brazilian subsidiary of a transnational company, which experienced the implementation of an ERP simultaneously with its process of privatization, by the late 1990?s. People from two organizations involved in the same process of system implementation were interviewed, allowing the comparison between two different groups of professionals -- the consultants, hired for developing and implementing the system, and the users, responsible for providing information to configure the ERP. The sample used on the research is non-probabilistic, composed by the accessibility criteria. There is no intention of affirming that the hereby results are representative for the entire possible universe of research. The hereby results demonstrate point of perception agreement and points of perception discordance, either within the different hierarchy levels of the same organization, or within same levels of different organizations.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are regarded as among the most innovative information technology products developed over the past two decades. Thus, they have become the backbone of management information systems in the organizations that have implemented them. The difficulties associated with their high failure rate, however, have been the subject of extensive studies. To expand on this knowledge, this study has two research objectives: to examine the relationship between corporate governance structures and implementation results and to investigate whether implementation outcomes vary by country. This study focuses on the project steering committee’s involvement, internal auditors’ participation, and the change management plan implementation. The results demonstrate that steering committee involvement is a primary factor that influenced the success of ERP implementation; and that institutional factors in country of deployment are important determinants of ERP project outcome.

IT Outsourcing (contracting-out of Information Technology services) has become a pivotal economic trend in recent decades. This study traces the interlacing of IT Outsourcing with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems. Little research has considered the reciprocal relations between these two phenomena. This was the gap in knowledge addressed by the research. More specifically, the research investigated: why organisations turn to IT Outsourcing providers to implement and maintain ERP systems and what are the success factors for selective IT Outsourcing within ERP projects in Israel. Field research was conducted in organisations during 2006-2008, employing IT Outsourcing for ERP systems in two stages: Stage One used qualitative data-collection tools: five semi-structured interviews and fifteen open-ended questionnaires. Inductive content and thematic analysis conducted on data from these tools produced themes that formed the basis for a closed-ended questionnaire used in the next stage. Stage Two employed seventy two closed-ended questionnaires. Quantitative data from this questionnaire underwent deductive statistical analysis to test and confirm findings from Stage One. Results indicated that significant differences between ERP package-based centralised cross-organisational systems and the out-dated self-developed legacy IT systems produced different organisational requirements for IT Outsourcing services. Respondents thought it essential to employ IT Outsourcing for ERP projects, noting different motivations for this strategy. Respondents identified four success factor groups for IT Outsourcing in ERP projects, grading the factors according to relative importance. Management commitment and support was the most important success factor group. The research showed that organisations that implement ERP systems regard it as essential to employ the IT Outsourcing services since they provide experienced updated experts. Organisations stress that they need these services to ensure effective, operable systems, understanding that initially there is little cost reduction. Management commitment, wise choice of vendors and intelligent contracting can establish successful vendor-organisation collaboration. Contribution to knowledge is made by offering a better understanding of the unique phenomenon of IT Outsourcing within ERP projects in Israel, motivations to use and success factors

User groups have been recognised as one of the most important coupling mechanisms between users and vendors. There are hundreds of such groups around the world attached to complex technological artefacts and systems. Innovation scholars have referred to these groups as the new sites of innovation and gone as far to suggest that vendors may struggle to survive without the user-led innovation that derives from these forums (von Hippel, 2005). This is particularly the case for software products. However, despite their growing academic and policy importance, and notwithstanding the fact these communities have been in existence for more than three decades, the Information Systems literature has not yet explained the complex workings of such groups. This study produces one of the first ethnographic studies of a major software user group linked to a complex packaged enterprise system. It describes and characterises the range of functions carried out by this group, which includes their internal workings and organisation, how members relate to each other, how the group links to the vendor and other intermediaries, and the group’s attempts to shape the development of its technology. A key focus of the work is the various tensions and barriers found in these communities. To analyse this group the study adopts and extends the Social Shaping of Technology (SST) and its recent offshoot, the ‘Biography of Artefact’ (BoA) framework. This thesis contributes to these approaches by showing the importance of multifaceted time dimensions and heterogeneity of spaces in examining users groups. Whilst existing studies using these approaches have looked at the evolution of technology over extended periods, this thesis contributes by considering the coevolution of the technology and the community attached at the same time. This allows us not only to gain a better conceptualisation of the user group but as a result see new forms of innovation invisible to more dominant perspectives. It challenges economist led understandings of user-led innovation which tend to give only a rather superficial understanding of the process by which users create new innovation. In particular, and through arguing for the need to take into account both ‘success’ and ‘failure’ in the process of user-led innovation, the thesis offers the concept of ‘artification’ to explain further complex outputs originating from the interaction of these actors in multiple spaces and over long periods of time. The thesis also extends theories of the Social Shaping of Technology by depicting innovation as an arena where different actor spaces act collectively, but also compete, and as a result wield influence on different stages of the technology lifecycle. This leads to a further contribution of this thesis in the field of Information Systems research by suggesting that enterprise software innovation is a community achievement. In particular, the research proposes the concept of ‘unification’ to show the collective acts of users in aggregating their needs to participate in the development of technology. The study concludes by offering insights and recommendation to practitioners and policy makers for deploying user communities for better technological outcomes, both in terms of design and development as well as implementation and use.