Purpose: In literature, there is not sufficient research of the impact of Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) usage on firm performance for small and medium sized Swedish companies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide clarifications regarding this topic by investigating two research questions: What factors drive ERP usage in small- and medium- sized Swedish enterprises? Does ERP usage affect Firm Performance in small- and medium- sized Swedish enterprises?  Design/Methodology/Approach: To approach our research questions 10 hypotheses are constructed based on previous studies. Further, to gather the data required to test these hypotheses, a survey was sent to 1000 Swedish small- and medium-size enterprises which generated 100 responses. The data was later analyzed using a Partial Least Square Structural Model.  Findings: The first outcome of this study is that the main drivers of ERP usage in Swedish small- and medium-sized enterprises are Top Management Support and Effective Project Management. The second outcome is that ERP usage has a significant positive impact on Firm Performance.  Contribution/implication: The main practical contribution derived from our results is that small- and medium-size firms should focus on Top management support and Effective project management in order to increase their ERP usage, which in turn could lead to greater levels of firm performance. In the theoretical spectrum, we contribute to the literature by enhancing the importance of effective project management not previously tested in the ERP usage context and by adding question marks regarding the effect of certain variables on ERP usage.

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 study uses the concept of absorptive capacity to provide a framework for exploring benefit realization in the post-implementation phase of ERP systems. Success factors of ERP adoption such as: training, communication, process change, and integration extension are organized into two types of knowledge absorptive capacity: potential capacity and realization capacity. This study proposes that absorptive capacity is one of the key determinants of benefits realization from ERP implementation. Although the frequently mentioned factors training and communication are important activities for organizations to assimilate the knowledge of the system processes, these represent potential capacity that requires realization through refinement and execution of what has been absorbed. ERP adopting organizations wishing to continuously generate benefits need to both build potential absorptive capacity by investing in training and education and leverage realized capacity through extension of integration of the system processes. Through in-depth case study of four firms in Taiwan, this study verified the propositions about absorptive capacity in post- implementation of ERP systems. The results further revealed some findings： 1) More iterations of the cycle of absorptive capacity leads to greater benefits of ERP systems. 2) Knowledge retention is important for accumulating potential resources. 3) Provide some guidance of educational program planning. 4) Environment provided by companies can encourage assimilation of knowledge and full use of the ERP system. 5) Business training is necessary for IT professionals. These findings are helpful for managers to well assimilate and exploit knowledge. And furthermore, this study suggests that companies need to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit knowledge in a dynamic cyclical path to adapt to the changing business environment and sustain competitive advantage over the long term.

AImplémenter un système intégré de type ERP n’est pas sans conséquences. Toutefois, les recherches consacrées à la post-implémentation restent peu abondantes. La question centrale de cette recherche est celle des capacités d'évolution de l'ERP après son implémentation lorsqu'il est confronté à l’évolution des besoins de l'organisation et de son écosystème, en particulier concernant leurs dimensions logistiques. La logistique est en effet souvent à l'origine de reconfigurations importantes, constituant autant de risques à intégrer pour un système ERP dont les rigidités ont été abondement abordées par la littérature. Il est alors intéressant de s’interroger sur les différents mécanismes qui vont permettre de faire évoluer l’ERP afin qu’il reste en cohérence avec les besoins, la stratégie et la performance de l’entreprise. Cette question est au cœur de cette thèse sur la contribution de la gestion des risques logistiques à la mise en lumière des inadéquations des ERP (Strong et Volkoff, 2010) et à leur évolution et adaptation (Besson et Rowe, 2011). Notre méthodologie est qualitative et repose principalement sur une étude de cas au sein d'une entreprise du secteur aéronautique à ERP stable. Nos données montrent à la fois le progiciel comme un atout pour la robustesse logistique à court terme et un handicap face aux risques logistiques qui devront être soit acceptés sans que l'ERP n'évolue, soit réduits avec l'ERP qui évoluerait, soit évités avec l'ERP qui serait de facto contourné. Dans tous les cas, la gestion des risques logistiques apparaît comme un outil permettant de faire évoluer continûment le paramétrage de l'ERP et donc d'en améliorer l'alignement et la performance. / AImplementing an integrated system, such as an ERP, is not without consequences. However, only a few studies have looked at post-implementation. The focal point of our research is the capacity of the ERP to evolve after being implemented, when confronted to changes of needs of the organization and its ecosystem, in particular concerning logistical dimensions. Indeed, logistics is often at the origins of major reconfigurations – risks that need to be integrated by an ERP system, whose rigidities have been abundantly addressed in publications. It is thus interesting to examine different mechanisms that would enable to have the ERP evolve, in order to keep it consistent with the needs, the strategy and the performance of the company. This question is at the heart of this thesis on the contribution of the management of logistics risks on the one hand, to underline the ERP misfits (Strong et Volkoff, 2010) and, on the other hand, to their evolution and adaptation (Besson et Rowe, 2011). Our methodology is essentially qualitative and relies mainly on a case study, with three phases of non-participant observations made in an aeronautics company whose ERP system is stable. Our observations, documentation and interviews show the software package is an asset for logistics robustness in the short term and, at the same time, a disadvantage in front of logistics risks, which will be either accepted without the ERP evolving, reduced with the evolution of the ERP or avoided with the actual bypassing of the ERP. In all cases, the management of logistics risk appears as a tool enabling the continuous evolution of the ERP configuration and so improving its alignment and performance.

L’objet principal de cette thèse concerne le Dossier Patient Informatisé (DPI) dans les hôpitaux, et plus particulièrement les difficultés d’usage après la phase d’implémentation. Notre démarche visait à concevoir, à partir des connaissances académiques en Système d’Information, une méthode permettant aux acteurs de terrain d’agir sur une problématique spécifique. Concrètement nous cherchions à savoir comment améliorer les situations de « misfit », c’est à dire les situations dans lesquelles les professionnels de santé considèrent l’usage du DPI comme inadapté à leur métier. Pour ce faire, nous avons cherché à comprendre le bilan mitigé du DPI dans la littérature en utilisant les travaux d’Adler & Borys (1996) sur le caractère dual de la formalisation du travail induite par la technologie (habilitante ou coercitive). Une technologie habilitante permet de positionner un utilisateur comme source de solutions, alors qu’une technologie coercitive tend à le considérer comme source de problèmes. Dans le premier manuscrit portant sur l’autonomie des professionnels de santé face au système d’information hospitalier, nous avons conclu sur la nécessité d’une formalisation de type habilitante pour améliorer l’usage du DPI. Dans le deuxième manuscrit, nous avons montré que dans les exemples d’expériences négatives du Dossier Patient Informatisé rapportés dans la littérature, il était possible de mettre en évidence les différents aspects d’une formalisation coercitive. Pour argumenter sur le caractère dual de la formalisation du travail induite par le DPI, nous avons rapporté dans le troisième manuscrit une étude empirique illustrative. Nos données montrent que pour un même DPI, dans un même hôpital, il peut exister des îlots de formalisation habilitante. En sortant du seul domaine d’application de la santé, nous avons approfondi les travaux sur la conceptualisation du misfit entre processus d’affaires et Système d’Entreprise (SE) de Strong & Volkoff de 2010, en utilisant les concepts d’affordance et d’actualisation d’affordance utilisés par les mêmes auteurs en 2013 et 2014. Le quatrième manuscrit présente donc un modèle original permettant d’analyser l’usage des technologies de l’information pour un processus d’affaires donné sous la forme d’une combinaison d’actualisations, de non-actualisation ou d’actualisations partielles de multiples affordances du système d’entreprise par de multiples acteurs. Dans une perspective réaliste critique, le misfit est alors la perception par un individu ou un groupe d’individus que cette combinaison ne répond pas à l’ensemble ou à une partie des objectifs du processus de façon satisfaisante. Nous rapportons ensuite comment, dans le cadre d’une recherche-action, nous avons utilisé ce modèle pour améliorer l’usage d’un DPI en post-implémentation dans un hôpital. L’analyse d’une situation de misfit selon notre méthode permet une recombinaison, en recherchant une suite cohérente d’ajustements techniques et organisationnels acceptables pour toutes les parties prenantes et dont l’agencement permet bien la disparition du misfit initial, mais aussi de l’ensemble des misfits révélés pendant l’analyse. Cette recombinaison aboutit alors à une formalisation du travail présentant toutes les caractéristiques d’une formalisation habilitante.La discussion de la thèse aborde les conditions du succès de la méthode, le choix des situations sur lesquelles l’appliquer et les perspectives de recherche qui en découlent. / The main focus of this thesis is the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) in hospitals, and more particularly the difficulties of use after the implementation phase. Our approach aimed to design, with the academic knowledge of Information Systems, a method allowing field actors to act on this specific issue. In concrete terms, we were looking for ways to improve "misfit" situations, i.e. situations in which health professionals consider the use of EPR to be unsuitable for their profession. To do this, we sought to understand the mixed record of EPR use reported in the professional literature, by using the dual nature (enabling or coercive) of technology-induced work formalization (Adler & Borys, 1996). Enabling technology allows a user to be positioned as a source of solutions, while coercive technology tends to consider them as a source of problems. In the first manuscript on the autonomy of health professionals in relation to the hospital information system, we concluded that an enabling formalization is needed to improve the use of EPR. In the second manuscript, we showed that in the examples of negative experiences of the EPR reported in the literature, it was possible to highlight the different aspects of coercive formalization. To argue on the dual nature of the formalization of work induced by EPR, we have reported in the third manuscript an illustrative empirical study. Our data show that for the same EPR, in the same hospital, there may be islets of enabling formalization.Moving beyond the health field of application alone, we have further developed Strong & Volkoff's 2010 conceptualization of the misfit between business process and Enterprise System (ES), using the concepts of affordance and affordance-actualization used by the same authors in 2013 and 2014.The fourth manuscript therefore presents an original model for analyzing the use of information technology for a given business process in the form of a combination of actualizations, non-actualizations or partial actualizations of multiple affordances of the enterprise system by multiple actors. From a critical realistic perspective, misfit is then the perception by an individual or group of individuals that this combination does not satisfactorily meet all or some of the objectives of the process.We then report on how we used this model to improve the use of EPR in post-implementation in an action research project. The analysis of a misfit situation according to our method allows a recombination, by seeking a coherent sequence of technical and organizational adjustments acceptable to all stakeholders and whose arrangement allows the disappearance of the initial misfit, but also of all the misfits revealed during the analysis. This recombination then leads to a formalization of the work that has all the characteristics of an enabling formalization.The discussion of the thesis addresses the conditions for the success of the method, the choice of situations on which to apply it and the resulting research perspectives.

Background: ERP systems were perceived as the most significant invention for corporations during the rise of information technology in 1990s (Davenport, 1998). Today ERP systems are a multibillion dollar business and used by both LEs and SMEs. Using an ERP system is a continuous project and it is important to constantly look for misalignments in the system and the usage in accordance to the organizational structure also during post-implementation phase (Peng & Nunes, 2017). Problem: Despite the abundance of studies regarding the implementation of ERP systems there is a shortage of studies about the post-implementation phase, where existing post-implementation studies are rather fragmented around a large set of issues (Huang & Yasuda, 2016; Peng & Nunes, 2017). Furthermore, the studies about ERP usage during post-implementation tend to focus on user perspective or evaluation of system or organizational performance (Huang & Yasuda, 2016). Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how SMEs improve the usage of ERP systems during the post-implementation phase. Method: To fulfill the purpose of this study, the empirical data was collected through a multiple case study of three cases with SMEs of e-commerce retailer companies in Sweden. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with top management of the three SMEs in order to get understanding of underlying methods and reasons for the system usage improvement Conclusion: Findings of this study show that SMEs improve their system usage through enhancing knowledge-sharing and organizational learning as well as through unification of the procedures that is achieved through external support and knowledge-sharing.

Affärssystem kan ha en stor betydelse för hur organisationer styrs och organiseras och utgör kärnan för informationshanteringen inom organisationer. Att implementera ett affärssystem i en organisation är en omfattande process. Tidigare forskning omaffärssystem har främst fokuserat på hur organisationer ska gå tillväga för att lyckas med implementeringen. Trots detta är misslyckandegraden för affärssystemsimplementeringar hög och flera vetenskapliga artiklar pekar ut en kunskapslucka inom det som kallas postimplementering. Det som sker efter ett affärssystem tagits i bruk, det vill säga efter “go live” kallas för postimplementering. Postimplementeringen består av tre faser och denna studie fokuserar på den första fasen, stabiliseringsfasen, och det arbete som utförs för att nå ett stabilt läge. Ett stabilt läge kan definieras som att organisationens processer fungerar smidigt och effektivt samt att användarna är trygga ianvändningen av systemet. Utifrån litteraturstudien kunde tre teman tas fram som organisationer arbetar med under stabiliseringsfasen. Dessa var utvärdering, användarutbildning och förändring av affärsprocesser. Med dessa teman som utgångspunkt har intervjuer genomförts för att besvara frågan, ”Hur arbetar organisationer med stabiliseringsfasen underpostimplementeringen?”. Utifrån resultat, analys och diskussion identifierades fyra områden som organisationer arbetar med under stabiliseringsfasen för att nå ett stabiltläge: framtagning av prioritetslistor, utvärdering av användarkompetens, användarutbildning samt utvärdering av affärsprocesser. / ERP systems may have a significant impact on how organizations are managed and organized and they are the core of information management in organizations. Implementing an ERP system in an organization is a comprehensive process. Previous research on ERP has mainly focused on how organizations should proceed to accomplish a successful implementation. Despite this, the failure rate of ERP implementations is high and several scientific articles are pointing out a knowledge gap in what is known as post implementation. Post implementation is what happens after an ERP systemsimplementation. The post implementation stage consists of three phases. This study focuses on the first phase, stabilization, and the work done to achieve a stable position. A stable position can be defined as that the processes in the organization works effectively and smoothly and that the users are confident in using the system.  Based on the literature study, three themes that organizations work with during stabilization were identified. These were evaluation, user training and business processes reengineering. On the basis of these themes, interviews were conducted to answer the question, "How do organizations work with stabilization during the post implementation stage?”. Based on result, analysis and discussion, four areas were identified which organizations work with during the stabilization phase to achieve a stable: development of priority lists, evaluation of user expertise, user training and evaluation of business processes.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de traiter la problématique de conciliation entre stabilité et changement dans le cadre d’un projet d’intégration d’un système d’information. Une grande partie de la production ERP se focalise sur le processus de changement à mettre en place sans pour autant prêter attention à concilier ce changement avec la stabilité des éléments invariants constituant le noyau dur de l’organisation. A travers une étude longitudinale menée en profondeur dans un établissement d’enseignement supérieur sur deux phases de mise en place d’un système ERP (implémentation et post-implémentation) entre octobre 2009 et juillet 2014, nous mettons en évidence sept facteurs de conciliation qui sont l’établissement et le partage d’une vision organisationnelle, le soutien continu de la direction générale, le pilotage du projet de changement, l’instauration de la confiance, la communication bidirectionnelle, la formation et l’apprentissage organisationnel. Ces résultats soulignent l’importance pour les initiateurs du changement de considérer les deux concepts de stabilité et de changement comme étant interdépendants et de trouver un équilibre dynamique entre les opportunités de changement et la nécessité de stabiliser à la fois les facteurs organisationnels et acteurs techniques dans le cadre d’un processus de changement. / This thesis aims to address the issue of conciliation between stability and change as part of an integration project of an information system. Much of the research written on ERP systems focuses on the process of change to develop without paying attention to balance this change with the stability of invariant elements constituting the essence of the organization.Through an in-depth longitudinal study in a higher education institution on two implementation phases of an ERP system (implementation and post-implementation) from October 2009 to July 2014, we highlighted seven conciliation factors, which are the establishment and sharing of an organizational vision, continued support from senior management, steering the project of change, building trust, using a two way communication channels, offering purposeful training, and setting a culture of organizational learning.These findings underscore the importance for change managers to consider the two concepts of stability and change as interrelated and to find a dynamic balance between the opportunities for change and the need to stabilize both organizational and

Affärssystem har blivit ett betydelsefullt verktyg för verksamheter som vill upprätthålla konkurrenskraft på marknaden. Affärssystem som stöd gör det möjligt att digitalisera och automatisera affärsprocesser, vilket ger utrymme att fokusera på mer ändamålsenliga processer och skapa tillväxt. Trots betydande investering i form av tid och pengar, är det ett utbrett problem att affärssystemet inte genererar de långsiktiga affärsnyttorna som förväntas. En vanlig missuppfattning är att affärssystemsprojektet är avslutat efter implementationen är slutförd. I själva verket är det är först när affärssystemet används i sin rätta miljö som dess brister går att identifiera, vilket gör förvaltningsarbetet mycket viktigt för att motverka lägre matchningsgrad mellan affärssystem och affärsprocesser. Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats i informatik är att identifiera, beskriva och förklara kritiska framgångsfaktorer under post-implementeringsfasen i ett affärssystemsprojekt för att uppnå långsiktiga affärsnyttor genom användandet av ett affärssystem ur ett kund–systemimplementatörsperspektiv i en mellanprojektsrelation. I denna studie har fallstudiemetoden tillämpats och en litteraturstudie genomförts. Baserat på litteraturstudien har en analysmodell utformats. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts för att samla in primära empiriska data. Vissa semistrukturerade intervjuer har varit personliga och vissa utförts via Teams. Fyra intervjuer med projektmedlemmar har genomförts, tre med företrädare från fallföretaget Two och en med företrädare från kundföretaget Grandpa. Studiens viktigaste slutsatser är; att systemimplementatörens projektgrupp har kompetensbredd, särskilt i form av teknisk kunskap och verksamhetskunskap. Att kommunikationen inom dyaden är ändamålsenlig, vilket är viktigt för att skapa förståelsemellan varandra. Dessutom är det viktigt att kundens projektgrupp arbetar med de interna affärsprocesserna: dels för att förbättra de processer som inte fungerar, dels för att uppnå en högre förståelse för vilka behov som finns och dels för att optimera passformen till affärssystemet. Slutligen är det viktigt att det finns utbildade superanvändare som stöttar och sprider kunskap till användarna av affärssystemet. Kunskapsbidraget från denna studie är två indikatorer som adderats i den modifierade analysmodellen, vilka är Grad av stöd från superanvändare och Ökad kontroll.

The manufacturing industry is accountable for a significant amount of carbon emissions released, and manufacturers experience pressure from stakeholders to address the sustainability issues and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, the lack of verified frameworks to achieve a sustainable supply chain makes it difficult to revisit their supply chain strategies. This study benchmarks how manufacturing companies in Sweden achieve sustainability in their supply chains by examining the a priori and post-implementation factors required, as well as how the sustainability initiatives are structured. The study is a multiple case study, which started with a literature review to gain a relevant understanding of the research problem. Semi-structured interviews were held with seven case companies in different sectors in the manufacturing industry and with two environmental consultants. The findings prove that manufacturing companies achieve sustainability in their supply chains by combining a priori and post-implementation factors with aspects regarding the structure of the initiatives. Top management commitment and management providing the necessary means to drive the initiative are crucial a priori factors. Moreover, the findings demonstrate to define ownership of the tasks in the initiative and that top management should integrate sustainability in the business model and have a budget for sustainability initiatives. Prioritizing the activities with the largest value creation is important, where a materiality analysis facilitates. Training employees and management on sustainability, and encouraging the employees to find green improvements are necessary. Post implementation, adopting a circular process is critical, while also ensuring sufficient resources throughout the initiatives. Moreover, the findings highlight strict governance with clearly defined ownership over time, the more decentralized the better. A cross-functional organization is advantageous for achieving the above-mentioned factors. The reason for pursuing an initiative must be defined to enable clear goals. Backcasting and a materiality analysis are useful tools to create measurable goals accordingly, and the goals should be scientifically approved by the Science Based Target initiative. In the execution, using previous experiences on internal and external platforms aid the case companies with their goal conflict prioritization. Lastly, frequent follow ups are critical, where the follow-up process should follow international standards. It is necessary to have a defined process for follow ups and have traceable follow ups to view the progress. / Tillverkningsindustrin står för en betydande mängd av världens koldioxidutsläpp, och tillverkningsbolag blir alltmer pressade av intressenter att ta itu med hållbarhetsfrågorna och bidra till FN:s globala mål för hållbar utveckling. Bristen på verifierade ramverk för att uppnå en hållbar försörjningskedja försvårar för företag att se över deras hållbarhetsstrategier. Denna benchmarkingstudie om hur tillverkningsföretag i Sverige uppnår hållbarhet i sina försörjningskedjor undersöker de faktorer som krävs innan och efter en implementering av ett hållbarhetsinitiativ, samt hur initiativen är strukturerade. Fallstudien började med en litteraturundersökning för att få relevant förståelse och kunskap om forskningsproblemet. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sju fallföretag inom olika sektorer i tillverkningsindustrin och med två miljökonsulter. Resultaten visar att tillverkningsföretag uppnår hållbarhet genom att kombinera kritiska faktorer innan och efter utförandet, samt att följa aspekter som rör initiativens struktur. Engagemang från högsta ledningen som ger nödvändiga medel för att driva initiativet är avgörande innan implementeringen. Dessutom visar resultaten att fallföretagen och högsta ledningen bör integrera hållbarhet i affärsmodellen och ha en budget för hållbarhetsinitiativ. Att prioritera aktiviteter med störst värdeskapande är viktigt, där en väsentlighetsanalys underlättar. Det är nödvändigt att utbilda medarbetarna och ledningen inom hållbarhet och uppmuntra de anställda att hitta miljöförbättringar. Efter implementeringen är det avgörande att arbeta i en cirkulär process, samtidigt som det säkerställs tillräckligt med resurser genom hela initiativet. Dessutom visar resultaten att en strikt styrning med tydligt definierat ägarskap över tid är essentiellt, och ju mer decentraliserat desto bättre. En tvärfunktionell organisation är fördelaktig för att uppnå ovan nämnda faktorer. Anledningen till att driva ett initiativ måste definieras för att möjliggöra tydliga mål. Backcasting och väsentlighetsanalyser är användbara verktyg för att skapa mätbara mål utifrån, samt att målen bör vara vetenskapligt godkända i enlighet med Science Based Target initiative. Under genomförandet anser fallföretagen att det är viktigt att beakta tidigare erfarenheter av att driva hållbarhetsinitiativ, då det underlättar målkonfliktprioriteringen. Slutligen är frekventa uppföljningar kritiska, där uppföljningsprocessen bör följa en internationell standard. Det är även nödvändigt att ha en definierad och spårbar process för uppföljningen för att tydligt se framstegen.