In today's competitive business, information technology (IT) is undoubtedly an irreplaceable part of the business. Introducing different types of IT within companies is almost always proceed in a project form. Today, there are well-developed strategies, models and tools for a project manager to use for IT projects, but in spite of that, previous research points to a relatively high error rate. But what do you really mean by a successful and failed IT project? In fact, specific IT projects are often limited to being assessed and followed up only against three parameters: time, budget and results, but fail to follow up on the expected business benefit that may affect the impact targets (impact targets are the objectives that specify the effect of the project expected to give). If the follow-up is not implemented, an uncertainty is created and the expected effects that IT projects will generate are lost.   Another factor in the problem of previous research in IT projects has been found in the perspective of the user. Those who run and manage IT projects must take into account the user's real IT system challenges to optimize the usage. Looking at the specific ease of use of system implementation, the existing literature indicates that it is the biggest challenge in IT projects. Users can resist using the system, which can cause more problems than that the IT project's performance goals are not achieved. Many reasons and factors for failed IT projects are not yet identified.   The purpose of the study is to identify success factors and obstacles to the effective deployment and use of a new product management system within Fashion Retail. The study has been conducted as a qualitative study where a Fashion Retail Company was studied. The Company is considered relevant to the study as they currently carry out one of the largest IT investments in recent years. The Company will introduce a new product management system for two different concepts. The study results in three concrete success factors as well as an identified area where obstacles arise.   Three success factors: • The project management strategy Practical Project Management (PPS) Parallel with a change-friendly climate, creates an optimistic view of the introduction of the Product Management System, as well as releasing time to the project manager to eliminate any obstacles along the way. • Having users of the Product Management System in most phases through IT projects enhances and optimizes user-friendliness. • Let the supplier be seen and treated as a participant in the projects, it can free up time and improving communication between customer and supplier.  Area of Obstacles: An important but out-priority activity in IT projects (mostly due to lack of time) is to follow up and learn between projects as project managers. Here you lose important information and knowledge. How to identify success if follow-up does not happen? In an industry like Fashion Retail, characterized by major seasonal variations, high availability and external factors such as environmental and social responsibility, you depend on IT to share the information. If follow-up is more frequent and carefully, IT projects can be streamlined on time, but also economically with routines and the right actors.

For smaller niche companies in an oligopoly market to survive and grow, they need to focus on either having unique products and/or unique, more efficient internal processes compared to their larger competitors. One possible success factor for these smaller companies is to exploit the business potential found in an increasingly digitalized world. To fully utilize this potential, it is necessary for companies to ensure that their business models and strategies include performing a digital transformation as one of their key focus areas. This study focuses on the benefits that a company can derive from creating a digitalized back-end product management system that is integrated with a front-end, online user interface. The two research questions answered in this study are related to the interrelationship between business model and strategy and the creation of a digitalized product management system. In order to answer these questions, two case studies of three smaller, niche companies operating on the Swedish oligopoly markets of telecommunication and power distribution were performed. Interviews were held with representatives from these companies and the results of the interviews were coded by utilizing a Research Framework created for this study. The Research Framework was created based on the performed literature review including the dynamic capabilities concept that encompasses a company’s ability to sense, seize and transform itself to create a successful business model. The results of the case studies showed the benefits of digitalization in designing and utilizing a product management system that is integrated with a front-end user interface. Such an integrated platform should support in achieving increased customer satisfaction, as customers increasingly expect their suppliers to have a platform that enables them to online make their product choices, administrate their own accounts and retrieve historical data. This is part of a societal trend that smaller niche companies can utilize in their business model and strategy to in an agile manner meet the competition from their larger competitors. Besides increasing customer satisfaction, a well designed, digitalized product management system integrated with an online user interface makes it possible to decrease the need for manual administrative processes. This results in an increase in efficiency and reduced costs within a company or gives the employees the opportunity to focus on more value added activities. In this manner, the product management system has shown to be an important bridge between customers, product offerings, internal business management processes and a company’s business model and strategy. / För att mindre nischföretag på en oligopolmarknad ska kunna överleva och växa måste de fokusera på att ha unika produkter och/eller unika, effektivare interna processer jämfört med sina större konkurrenter. En möjlig framgångsfaktor för dessa mindre företag är att dra fördel av den affärspotential som finns i en alltmer digitaliserad värld. För att fullt ut kunna utnyttja denna potential är det nödvändigt för företag att se till att deras affärsmodell och strategi inkluderar att genomföra en digital omvandling som ett av dess viktigaste fokusområden. Denna studie fokuserar på de fördelar som ett företag kan få av att skapa ett digitaliserat produkthanteringssystem som är integrerat med ett online kundanvändargränssnitt. De två forskningsfrågorna som besvaras i denna studie är relaterade till sambandet mellan affärsmodell och strategi och skapandet av ett digitaliserat produkthanteringssystem. För att svara på dessa frågor utfördes två fallstudier av tre mindre nischföretag som verkar på de svenska oligopolmarknaderna för telekommunikation och kraftdistribution. Intervjuer hölls med representanter från dessa företag och resultaten av intervjuerna kodades genom att använda ett ramverk som skapats för denna studie. Ramverket skapades baserat på den utförda litteraturstudien, inklusive konceptet om dynamisk kapabilitet som omfattar ett företags förmåga att känna, agera och förändra för att skapa en framgångsrik affärsmodell. Resultaten från fallstudierna visade värdet av en digitalisering i utformningen och användningen av ett produkthanteringssystem som är integrerat med ett online kundanvändargränssnitt. Dessa fördelar inkluderar ökad kundnöjdhet, eftersom kunder i allt högre grad förväntar sig att deras leverantörer har produkthanteringssystem som gör det möjligt för dem att online göra sina produktval och administrera sina egna konton. Detta är en del av en samhällelig trend som mindre nischföretag kan använda i sin affärsmodell och strategi för att på ett agilt sätt möta konkurrensen från sina större konkurrenter. Förutom ökad kundnöjdhet gör ett väl utformat och digitaliserat produkthanteringssystem integrerat med ett online kundanvändargränssnitt det möjligt att minska behovet av manuella administrativa processer. Detta resulterar i en effektivitetsökning och minskade kostnader i ett företag och ger medarbetarna möjlighet att fokusera på arbetsuppgifter som ger mervärde. På detta sätt har produkthanteringssystemet visat sig vara en viktig bro mellan kunder, produktutbud, interna affärshanteringsprocesser och företagets affärsmodell och strategi.