Businesses are faced with an ever-changing environment of technology, one of these recurring changes is in the field of Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Technologies such as business intelligence (BI), machine learning (ML) and internet of things (IoT), which are driving forces in shaping the next generation of ERP systems. These improved ERP systems can better support a company compared to a traditional ERP system. This thesis has examined what constitutes an intelligent-ERP and what possibilities it presents from a business perspective. To answer this question, a qualitative study approach was chosen by conducting interviews with professionals within the BI and ERP systems field. The interviews were structured in a loose fashioned way, aiming for a holistic perspective of the I-ERP systems phenomenon. This bachelor thesis transpired to show that I-ERP systems do improve business performance for companies that exhibit the needs. However, there occurred differences in the perception of the definition of how I-ERP systems should be defined between the participants and the literature.

Det råder hög konkurrens på många olika marknader. Företag har i olika utsträckning implementerat affärssystem för att kunna konkurrera i en allt hårdare miljö med snabbare förändringar. Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera nyckelfaktorer för en lyckad implementering av ERP-, Enterprise Resource Planning, -affärssystem, med fokus på produktionsprocesser inom lean. För den empiriska undersökningen valdes ett svenskt företag som fokuserar på att ytbehandla metallprodukter åt svenska kunder. Komplikationer uppstod för implementering av ERP och implementeringen försenades. Denna studie utreder dessa problem och identifierar nyckelfaktorer för en lyckad ERP implementering. Utöver detta visar denna studie att företagets försening av implementering av ERP beror på komplexa faktorer där företaget inte har lyckats med att bejaka nyckelfaktorer för en lyckad implementering av ett affärssystem. Företaget har påbörjat ERP-implementering utan att ha utfört en adekvat analys av vad affärssystemet kommer att medföra för positiva och negativa effekter samt pga. resursbrist inte kartlagt sina egna produktionsprocesser innan implementering. Studiens huvudsakliga slutsats är att företaget måste ta ett beslut hur de skall fortskrida med implementeringen då det kommer att kosta kapital och extra personal samt utbildning för att affärssystemet skall kunna implementeras och för att företagets produktionsprocesser skall kunna dra maximala fördelar av affärssystemets implementation. Denna studie befäster tidigare resultat angående kritiska nyckelfaktorer och en lyckad implementering av ERP-affärssystem. Utöver detta tillförs välbehövlig kunskap om skräddarsydd ERP-implementering i en svensk kontext. Komplementariteter mellan humana resurser och kritiska nyckelfaktorer har identifierats och analyserats för en lyckad implementering av ERP. Betydelsen av en adekvat kartläggning av flöden och produktionsprocesser före man startar en ERP-implementering har också visats i så väl tidigare forskning men också här i denna studie. Slutligen visas här också att alla delar i företaget, såväl produktion, flödeshantering och humana resurser deltar i ett delikat samspel där inte enbart ERP-affärssystemet skall anpassas till dessa delar men också att det är essentiellt att delarna anpassas för en lyckad ERP-implementering. / Different markets today are highly competitive ones. Firms have in varying degree implemented ERP in order to be able to compete in an increasingly harsh and rapidly changing environment. The purpose of this study has been to identify key factors for a successful implementation of ERP with a focus on production processes within lean. For the empirical study and survey, a Swedish company which focuses on surface-treating metal products. Complications arose with their implementation of a new ERP and the implementation was delayed. This study investigated these problems and identified key factors for successful ERP implementation. Furthermore, this study has shown that the firm’s delay in implementation of ERP has been due to complex factors whereas the company has not been able to comply to key factors for successful implementation and they have started an implementation process without adequate analysis, resources and level of education. This study confirms earlier results regarding critical success factors and a successful implementation of ERP. Furthermore, valuable knowledge on new and customised ERP-software implementation in a Swedish context is added to a growing body of earlier research on ERP-implementation in SMEs. Complementarities between human resources and critical success factors have been identified and analysed for a successful implementation of ERP. The importance of an adequate mapping of flows and production processes before the implementation of ERPs have been shown in earlier research but also here in this study. Finally, this study also shows that all analysed parts of the company; production, supply chain management and human resources participate in an intricate interplay; showing that it is not only essential that the ERP system is adapted to these individual parts but also that these integral parts of the company themselves are adapted to the ERP.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system används idag för att sammankoppla företags informationsflöden. Implementering av dessa system har över tid visat sig vara utmanande där bland annat utbildning utgör en viktig del i att detta arbete sker framgångsrikt. Med hjälp av en fallstudie har en mjukvaruleverantörs arbete med att utbilda kunder vid implementering av ERP-system studerats. Studien syftar till att kartlägga utbildningsprocessen för att undersöka hur utbildning i samband med systemimplementering kan utformas för att stötta kunders arbete med att nå sina målsättningar. Tre metoder för datainsamling har använts, samtliga med en kvalitativ ansats. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med konsulter, konsultchef och kund. Dokumentgranskning har genomförts för att undersöka de utbildningsmaterial de idag erbjuder kunder och observation har använts för att ge insikt i hur ett utbildningstillfälle ser ut. Studien visar på kunskapsbrister hos kunder i den initiala fasen samt att det finns ett behov av att erbjuda ett interaktivt utbildningsmaterial och det behövs ett säkerställande av kunders kunskap innan driftstart. För att hantera detta föreslår resultatet en uppstart med hjälp av gamification och ett systematiskt sätt att tillhandahålla interaktivt utbildningsmaterial samt ett kunskapstest inför driftstart. / The use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is a common way to access information throughout different parts of a company. Implementation of these systems has shown to be challenging. One of the key elements towards a successful implementation has proven to be user training. Through this case study a software vendor has been examined on how user training is conducted during the implementation of an ERP-system. The study aims to investigate how user training can be conducted in order to support customer objectives. Three methods of data collection have been used, all with a qualitative approach. These are as follows, semi-structured interviews with consultants, manager and customer. Document examination to evaluate the currently used training materials and observation to gain insight in the actual training process. Findings show that customers have a lack of knowledge in the initial phase and that there is a need for interactive user training material as well as a way to ensure user knowledge prior to launch. To ensure this the study suggests providing initial user training through gamification, a systematic way of providing interactive user training material and a knowledge test of maneuvering the system prior to launch.

The importance of aligning information technology and business strategies to exploit capabilities and change business practices has increased as firms strive for competitive advantage in a diverse and changing marketplace. Nevertheless, over 50% of firms implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems ranked expected process and value enhancements as inadequate, whereas only 13% indicated that implementations met their needs. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model formed the conceptual framework of this single case study. The study comprised a purposeful sampling of 8 business managers in Southeast Alabama working in related job roles and based on established eligibility criteria. Data collection involved semistructured interviews, casual observations, and document analysis. Through method triangulation and predetermined themes directly related to the UTAUT conceptual framework, 5 themes emerged: management endorsement, change management, training and education, dedicated resources, and governance. Results of this research may influence the elimination of key barriers central in the deployment and adoption of ERP systems by the public sector. The study's implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance social and intellectual capital formation through recognizing strategies that mitigate employees' gender and age variances during an ERP implementation.

Knowledge is a sustainable advantage and knowledge assets can increase value with use. A snowball effect of knowledge advantage advocates effective knowledge management and fosters its continual growth as it flows. Knowledge, however, flows unevenly throughout an organization and the problem is that the fundamental dynamics of these flows are still not well characterized in theoretical and computational models. This study built on existing work—knowledge-flow theory, need knowledge generation, and the critical success factors for enterprise resource planning implementation—to examine the multidimensional knowledge-flow phenomenon in context, and used the case study methodology for knowledge-flow theory building. The research question was two-pronged: how can need knowledge and its flow across stakeholders within an organization be explained using a multidimensional knowledge-flow model and how can Nissen’s five-dimensional knowledge-flow model be validated using a real-life immersion case? The researcher relied on three sources of evidence for this case study: project-related documentation, archival records, and interviews. Data triangulation yielded three results components: (a) a chronology of key events that obstructed knowledge flow, (b) a logic model depicting themes that contributed to knowledge-flow obstruction, and (c) explanations of the knowledge-flow patterns. This case study suggested enabling need knowledge determinants and obstructing conditions are in play that determine the path of need knowledge flow. These two research artifacts should be considered together to provide a fresh research avenue towards better understanding of knowledge flow dynamics.

Investment in new technologies is considered by firms as a solution to improve their productivity, product and service quality and their competitive advantages in the global market. Unfortunately, not all technology adoption projects have met their intended objectives. The complexity of technology adoption along with little consideration of the long term cost of the technology, are among the factors that challenge companies while adopting a new technology. Companies often make new technology adoption decision without enough attention to the total cost of the technology over its lifecycle. Sometimes poor decision making while adopting a new technology can result in substantial recurring loss impacts. Therefore, estimating the total cost of the technology is an important step in justifying the technology adoption. Total Ownership Cost (TOC) is a wildly-accepted financial metric which can be applied to study the costs associated with the new technology throughout its lifecycle. TOC helps companies analyze not only the acquisition and procurement cost of the technology, but also other cost components occurring over the technology usage and service stage. The point is that, technology adoption cost estimation is a complex process involving consideration of various aspects such as the maintenance cost, technology upgrade cost and the cost related to the human-resource. Assessing the association between the technology characteristics (technology upgrades over its life cycle, compatibility with other systems, technology life span, etc) and the TOC encompasses a high degree of complexity. The complexity exists because there are many factors affecting the cost over time. Sometimes decisions made today can have long lasting impact on the system costs and there is a lag between the time the decision is taken and when outcomes occur. iv An original contribution of this dissertation is development of a System Dynamics (SD) model to estimate the TOC associated with the new technology adoption. The SD model creates casual linkage and relationships among various aspects of the technology adoption process and allows decision makers to explore the impact of their decisions on the total cost that the technology brings into the company. The SD model presented in this dissertation composes of seven sub-models including (1) technology implementation efforts, (2) workforce training, (3) technology-related workforce hiring process, (4) preventive and corrective maintenance process, (5) technology upgrade, (6) impact of technology on system performance and (7) total ownership cost sub model. A case study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system adoption has been used to show the application of the SD model. The results of the model show that maintenance, upgrade and workforce hiring costs are among the major cost components in the ERP adoption case study presented in Chapter 4. The simulation SD model developed in this dissertation supports trade-off analysis and provides a tool for technology scenarios evaluation. The SD model presented here can be extended to provide a basis for developing a decision support system for technology evaluation.

This research study investigated the post-implementation experiences of 6 higher education institutions following the initial implementation of a Student Administration ERP system and explored how these institutions used the post-implementation phase to maximize the benefits from the ERP system. A mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey and qualitative case study was utilized for data collection; within-case and cross-case analyses were performed to generate the research results and findings. The overall post-implementation experiences of the case study institutions were found to be similar in nature, regardless of institution size. Several post-implementation characteristics were also found to be shared in varying degree among all case studies. Customizations and third-party software were used by all case studies in post-implementation to meet operational needs not provided by the Student ERP system. The number of customizations and enhancements completed or under consideration by the case study institutions indicate that there are many areas in which current Student ERP systems do not fit the needs of higher education institutions. The results of this research can inform and guide higher education administrators on the institutional impacts and changes that will occur in the ERP post-implementation environment. Administrators will be enabled to better evaluate the overall success of their project based upon post-implementation characteristics and experiences of the institutions in this study and apply the outcomes to improve planning for future ERP system projects.

This Master's Thesis compares technologies used in the architecture of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems to evaluate the benefits and advantages of emerging technologies. The emerging technologies, Cloud Computing, Software as a Service (SaaS) and Multi-Tenancy, could significantly alter the current ERP space and become a primary part of ERP Systems of the future. A survey was sent to industry professionals to obtain feedback on their company's ERP Systems and to collect their comments on these new technologies. The survey results and related analysis show that Emerging Cloud ERP Systems outperform Traditional Legacy ERP Systems in all important characteristics - Accessibility, Business Cost, Implementation Time, Mobility, Scalability, Upgradability, and Usability. Cloud Systems were also found to have a shorter implementation time and a larger proportion of Cloud Systems were on the most recent version of software. Furthermore, industry professionals identified Cloud Computing, SaaS and Mobility as the emerging technologies of the coming decade. This thesis demonstrates that there are significant benefits for companies to use ERP Systems that use the emerging technologies and that the shift to Cloud ERP Systems has begun.

Date: 2024-01-04 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University  Authors: Andoni Saval Sanchez Rafael Reis Siribeli  Title: New Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation in the Swedish Landscape.  Supervisor: Emre Yildiz  Keywords: Organization Support, Organizational Inertia, Enterprise Resource Planning, Information Systems  Research question: What are the primary organizational support actions that employees from different firms in Sweden claim to impact the most when adopting new technologies?  Purpose: The purpose is to explore how organizational support actions affect employees' adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in Sweden, analyzing their adaptation, behavioral intentions and firm’s actions, and providing recommendations for firms in the edge of implementing such systems.  Method: Qualitive research by using semi-structured interviews and Thematic Analysis.  Conclusion: The study was conducted by collecting primary data in two organizations located in Sweden who had recently experienced an ERP system implementation, guided by literature on Organizational Inertia and Organizational Support theories with a strong focus in employee perceptions. A thematic analysis of the data resulted in the following findings, 7 primary organizational support actions and 8 barriers were identified within 7 employees in the 2 firms. These were, in terms of Organizational Support, Teamwork, Words of Appreciation, Open Communication, Recognition, Trust and Honesty, Hyper Care Workshops with Stakeholders, and Roles and Responsibility. In term of barriers, Language, Time Constraint, Gap of Knowledge of Own Operations, Lack of Knowledge Transfer, Lack of Clarity in Roles, Unpreparedness, Lack of Human Resources, and Underwhelming Contractors. The authors hope these results can function as an aid to organizations experiencing a technological transformation and shade some light to the struggles employees face in the process.

No description available.