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.

Med digitaliseringens framväxt har så även industriernas förutsättningar förändrats. I dag återfinns en vid portfölj av digitala hjälpmedel och maskinteknik som bidrar till genomförandet av producerande industriers många processer, men den verkliga implementeringen varierar. Livsmedelsindustrin ses som en av dem tillverkande industrier med långsammare adoption och en försiktigare inställning till förändrade processer, vilket för verksamma organisationer har försvårat navigationen bland digitala lösningar och hur dessa kan nyttjas. En organisation som vittnar om dessa osäkerheter är livsmedelsproducenten Norrmejerier Ekonomisk Förening som i samband med stora organisatoriska omställningar behöver förändra nuvarande materialhantering och därför börjat se över informationstekniska systemstöd som en del av lösningen. Denna studie ämnar därför att kartlägga och sammanställa organisatoriska behov som bör beaktas i implementering av systemstöd för material och insatsvaror inom livsmedelsindustrin. För att kunna göra det delades syftet in i två delsyften: 1. Kartlägga och sammanställa olika avdelningars behov på systemstöd i strävan efter relevans och reducerat motstånd vid förändring. 2. Identifiera funktioner och parametrar motsvarande nuvarande arbetsprocesser och behovsbilder givna ur delsyfte 1.   För att uppnå dessa syften genomfördes en fallstudie på Norrmejerier via semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda inom olika avdelningar som skulle påverkas av förändringen. Intervjuerna genomfördes med stöd från tidigare studier inom de industriella revolutionernas bidrag och studier avseende förändringsledning samt förändringsmotstånd. Utöver intervjuer samlades data in via kompletterande organisatorisk mikroetnografi, vars data nyttjades till formulering av intervjufrågor samt som kompletterande insikter vid analys av intervjusvar. Resultaten av studien visade behov att förbättra materialflödets spårbarhet och automation, samtidigt som en sådan förändring förutsatte att berörda får utbildning i valt systemstöd respektive nya arbetssätt. Därtill identifierades warehouse management systems (WMS) tillsammans med RFID-teknologi som en potentiell lösning som för det interna materialflödet skulle innebära en ökad effektivitet, precision och spårbarhet med automatisk informationsinsamling och kommunikation mellan uppkopplade databaser och enheter. En sådan implementering bar enligt tidigare studier även potentialen till ett förbättrat kvalitetsarbete och ökad livsmedelssäkerhet, vilket sedermera inte enkom skulle resultera i fördelar för materialflödeshanteringen på lång sikt.

O setor de saneamento bÃsico no Brasil tem passado por grandes transformaÃÃes em sua estrutura nos Ãltimos anos, requerendo das Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento BÃsico (CESB) uma completa mudanÃa na forma de atuar, principalmente, pelas novas possibilidades trazidas pela Lei n 11.107/05 que em termos prÃticos, permite a participaÃÃo de empresas privadas na gestÃo dos serviÃos de saneamento, por meio de licitaÃÃo, aumentado a concorrÃncia no setor, e, sobretudo, pelas exigÃncias impostas pela Lei n 11.445/07, comumente conhecida como âMarco RegulatÃrio do Saneamentoâ, que dentre outros pontos preconiza a universalizaÃÃo dos serviÃos prestados; a eficiÃncia e sustentabilidade econÃmica e a transparÃncia das aÃÃes, baseada em sistemas de informaÃÃes e processos decisÃrios institucionalizados. Diante desse cenÃrio, as CESBs vÃm adotando diversas prÃticas de gestÃo e vÃrias ferramentas de TI a fim de melhorar os seus resultados. A adoÃÃo de sistemas ERP â Enterprise Resourse Planning como alternativa para maximizar os resultados das organizaÃÃes tÃm se tornado uma prÃtica em vÃrias empresas no mundo, chegando Ãs empresas brasileiras a partir de meados da dÃcada de 90, inclusive nas Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento no inÃcio dos anos 2000. InÃmeros sÃo os benefÃcios associados à utilizaÃÃo dos sistemas ERP nas organizaÃÃes. Todavia, diversos problemas sÃo relacionados ao uso desses sistemas, que impendem o alcance dos resultados inicialmente esperados e prometidos. Nesse contexto, esse trabalho tem como objetivo principal analisar como as Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento BÃsico tÃm utilizado os sistemas ERP na sua gestÃo. Do ponto de vista de seus objetivos, a presente pesquisa caracteriza-se como exploratÃrio-descritiva. Quanto à abordagem do problema pode ser classificada como quantitativa e qualitativa. No tocante aos procedimentos adotados, pode-se citar a realizaÃÃo de pesquisa bibliogrÃfica e a aplicaÃÃo de um survey combinado com a realizaÃÃo de um estudo de caso em uma das 27 companhias estaduais de saneamento bÃsico do Brasil. A partir da anÃlise dos resultados constatou-se que os sistemas ERP nÃo sÃo utilizados por todos os nÃveis hierÃrquicos das CESBs e nÃo contempla os seus processos principais e parte dos processos de apoio. Em relaÃÃo ao propÃsito a que se destina a sua utilizaÃÃo, verificou-se que sÃo utilizados com maior freqÃÃncia para dar apoio Ãs operaÃÃes e processos da organizaÃÃo e apoio à tomada de decisÃo empresarial, pelo nÃvel tÃtico e operacional das CESBs. Em relaÃÃo aos processos que dÃo suporte, ficou evidenciado que se concentram basicamente em parte dos processos de apoio, quais sejam: Financeiro; ContÃbil; LogÃstico e GestÃo de Pessoas. Constatou-se que as funcionalidades existentes se aderem a tais processos, e, mesmo com essas restriÃÃes verificadas a avaliaÃÃo sobre as melhorias proporcionadas à gestÃo dos processos transacionais das CESBs foi positiva, evidenciando uma congruÃncia com a atual realidade das Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento BÃsico. / Brazilian basic sanitation has undergone profound structural changes over the past years, requiring basic sanitation state agencies (CESB) to revise their working procedures. Thus, law #11.107/05 introduced new practical possibilities, such as the participation of private enterprises in the management of sanitation services by way of public bidding, thereby increasing competition in the sector, while law #11.445/07, commonly referred to as the âbasic sanitation regulatory frameworkâ, calls for the universalization of public services, economic efficiency and sustainability and administrative transparency, based on information systems and institutionalized decision-making processes. In response, CESBs have adopted a range of management practices and IT tools in order to improve their results. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems designed to maximize results are increasingly popular among companies around the world, and have been in use by private enterprises in Brazil since the mid-nineties and even by CESBs since the beginning of the current decade. ERP is associated not only with numerous advantages, but also with a number of problems compromising expected results. The main objective of the present study is to analyze the use of ERP systems by CESBs. Based on a review of the literature and a survey in combination with a case study of one of the 27 CESBs operating in Brazil, the study is exploratory and descriptive with regard to the objective, and quantitative-qualitative in its approach. The results show that ERP systems are not used at all hierarchical levels of the CESBs and do not cover the main processes and some of the support processes. ERP systems are most often used to support organizational operations and processes and executive tactical and operational decision-making processes. The main support processes include financial administration, accounting, logistics and staff management. Existing functionalities were found to ad here to these processes and, even in the presence of such restrictions, the assessment of the improvement to the management of CESB transactional processes was positive, revealing a congruence with the present reality of the basic sanitation state agencies.