Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Information Technology, Durban University of Technology Durban, South Africa, 2013. / This study reports on the development of a model for the improvement of understanding the extent of Enterprise Resource Planning system usage at the Durban University of Technology. Previous research revealed that university ERP systems are not fully utilized by end-users, resulting in low usage and institutional inefficiencies. Consequently this leads to stakeholders (particularly students and government) pressurizing universities to improve their efficiency and performance. To address the problem, this study developed a research model by adapting the TAM2 theoretical model with additional IT usage factors of training, management support, perceived behavioural control and technical support. A dataset of 312 full time academics was generated by a survey method. Partial Least Square (PLS) technique was used to determine the predictive power of the developed research model which was then compared to other adoption and usage models to determine its superiority. The model was empirically tested and the findings demonstrated an improvement on the model predictive power as a result of the additional IT usage factors and the interaction effect of gender, age and experience. The predictive power comparison shows that the research model better explained 23% of the variability in ERP system usage compared to the original TAM2 model of 3.6% and the original TPB model of 5.2%. With the exception of management support, the additional IT usage factors of training, technical support and perceived behavioural control were found to have a significant relationship with ERP system usage. The test of gender, experience and age interaction effect revealed that gender and experience moderated the relationship between the independent factors of technical support and management support on the dependent factor of ERP system usage. In addition gender moderated the effect of perceived behavioural control on ERP system usage but not the effect of training which was however moderated by experience. Age did not moderate the relationship between the additional IT usage factors and ERP system usage. Consequently, the Durban University of Technology will have to address these additional IT usage factors and gender and experience interaction effect more precisely in its attempt to improve ERP system usage.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the six decades since organisations rst adopted computer machinery to support their operations this form of technology has undergone rapid evolution. This evolution is characterised by both the advancement of the machines themselves and the expansion of their application in the organisational domain through the development of increasingly advanced software. A particularly in uential development for large enterprises has been the introduction of computerised Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) and the popularisation of proprietary ERP packages. By integrating the feature sets of an increasingly wide range of business software applications ERPs enable organisations to satisfy a large part of their information processing requirements by adopting a single software artefact. This approach o ers numerous bene ts to adopters as it ensures the integration of information processing activities across organisational functions. However, the realisation of these bene ts depends upon the organisation's ability to achieve congruence between its own structures and those embedded in proprietary ERP packages. This includes, on one level, the management of the processes of adaptation through which organisational actors become accustomed to a new technology and, on another level, the con guration and alignment of the artefact with the organisation's operating procedures. Despite the popularity of ERP adoption the achievement of congruence in information systems is an illusive ideal for many organisations. Accordingly, many Information Systems (IS) scholars have researched the organisational, technical and social factors which obstruct congruence and the interventions proposed to counter these. A key nding following from these investigations is that, notwithstanding the implementation of countering interventions, organisations often need to continue operations while experiencing some degree of incongruence or mis t in their information systems. The research performed in this study advances knowledge about this phenomenon by investigating the implications of incongruence for the behaviour of users of proprietary ERPs in organisations. Weickean Sensemaking Theory is adopted as conceptual framework to enable the investigation of instances of incongruence as events experienced by users in the context of their work environments. The theory dictates that users, rather than passively adopting the impositions of software artefacts, en- act information systems in unpredictable ways based on subjective and shared processes of sensemaking. An empirical investigation is performed and takes the form of a single, cross-sectional case study in which a variety of data collection techniques are utilised. The data sources are analysed and triangulated to trace the relationship between experiences of incongruence and patterns of information systems enactment among the user community. The ndings of the study reveal that experiences of incongruence cultivate knowledge sharing among a user community, a process which aligns their beliefs about the nature, role and use of a technology in an organisation. Furthermore, experiences of incongruence encourage users to augment designed technologies through the development informal information processing activities and alternative work ows. These forms of behaviour, while resolving users' experiences incongruence, lead to variance between the designed technology and the enacted technology creating various risks for the integrity of the organisation's business processes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die ses dekades sedert organisasies rekenaar masjinerie begin toepas het om hul bedrywighede te ondersteun, het hierdie vorm van tegnologie dramatiese ontwikkeling ondergaan. Hierdie ontwikkeling word gekenmerk deur beide die bevordering van die masjiene self, asook die uitbreiding van hul toepassings in die organisatoriese domein deur die ontwikkeling van meer gevorderde sagteware. 'n Besonder invloedryke ontwikkeling vir groot ondernemings was die bekendstelling van gerekenariseerde Enterprise Resource Plan- ning Systems (ERPs) en die popularisering van kommersiële ERP pakkette. Deur die integrasie van 'n toenemend wye verskeidenheid funksionaliteit stel ERPs organisasies in staat om 'n groot deel van hul inligting verwerking vereistes deur die aanneming van 'n enkele sagteware produk te dek - 'n benadering wat talle voordele bied aangesien dit die integrasie van inligting verwerking tussen organisatoriese funksies verseker. Die verwesenliking van hierdie voordele is egter afhanklik van die organisasie se vermoë om kongruensie tussen sy eie strukture en die van ERP pakkette te bewerkstelling. Dit sluit die bestuur van prosesse waartydens organisatoriese akteurs aanpas by 'n nuwe tegnologie in, asook die kon gurasie van die pakket om belyning met die organisasie se operasionele prosedures te verseker. Ten spyte van die gewildheid van ERPs is die bereiking van kongruensie in inligtingstelsels 'n ontwykende ideaal vir baie organisasies. Gevolglik word die organisatoriese, tegniese en sosiale faktore wat kongruensie belemmer gereeld deur Information Systems (IS) akademici ondersoek. 'n Prominenete bevinding wat uit hierdie navorsing voortspruit is dat organisasies dikwels hul werk moet voortsit ten spyte van inkongruensie in hul inligtingstelsels. In hierdie studie word die bovermelde fenomeen verder ondersoek deur die implikasies van inkongruensie vir die gedrag van gebruikers van kommersiële ERP pakkette te ondersoek. Weick se Sensemaking teorie word toegepas as konseptuele raamwerk om gevalle van inkongruensie as gebeure wat deur gebruikers ervaar word te ondersoek. Die teorie bepaal dat die gebruikers nie bloot rekenaarstelsels aanvaar nie, maar dit op onvoorspelbare maniere enact op grond van subjektiewe en gedeelde prosesse van singewing. 'n Gevallestudie word uitgevoer waarin 'n verskeidenheid data-insamelingstegnieke gebruik word. Die databronne word ontleed en kruisvalidasie word gedoen om die verhouding tussen ervarings van inkongruensie en patrone van gedrag binne inligtingstelsels te beskryf. Die bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat ervarings van inkongruensie die deel van kennis binne 'n gebruikersgemeenskap tot gevolg het. Hierdie proses belyn gebruikers se verwysingsraamwerke oor die aard, rol en gebruik van 'n tegnologie in 'n organisasie. Verder word bevind dat gebruikers, agv ervarings van inkongruensie, 'n tegnologie uitbrei dmv die ontwikkeling van informele inligting verwerkingstegnieke en alternatiewe werksprosesse. Hierdie gedrag stel gebruikers in staat om inkongruensie te oorkom, maar lei tot variansie tussen die ontwerpte tegnologie en die toepassing daarvan binne die organisasie. Dit hou verskeie risiko's vir die integriteit van die organisasie se besigheidsprosesse in.

In cellular networks, channels should be allocated efficiently to support communication betweenmobile hosts. In addition, in cellular networks, base stations may fail. Therefore, designing a faulttolerantchannel allocation algorithm is important. That is, the algorithm should tolerate failuresof base stations. Many existing algorithms are neither fault-tolerant nor efficient in allocatingchannels.We propose channel allocation algorithms which are both fault-tolerant and efficient. In theproposed algorithms, to borrow a channel, a base station (or a cell) does not need to get channelusage information from all its interference neighbors. This makes the algorithms fault-tolerant,i.e., the algorithms can tolerate base station failures, and perform well in the presence of thesefailures.Channel pre-allocation has effect on the performance of a channel allocation algorithm. Thiseffect has not been studied quantitatively. We propose an adaptive channel allocation algorithmto study this effect. The algorithm allows a subset of channels to be pre-allocated to cells. Performanceevaluation indicates that a channel allocation algorithm benefits from pre-allocating allchannels to cells.Channel selection strategy also inuences the performance of a channel allocation algorithm.Given a set of channels to borrow, how a cell chooses a channel to borrow is called the channelselection problem. When choosing a channel to borrow, many algorithms proposed in the literaturedo not take into account the interference caused by borrowing the channel to the cells which havethe channel allocated to them. However, such interference should be considered; reducing suchinterference helps increase the reuse of the same channel, and hence improving channel utilization.We propose a channel selection algorithm taking such interference into account.Most channel allocation algorithms proposed in the literature are for traditional cellular networkswith static base stations and the neighborhood relationship among the base stations is fixed.Such algorithms are not applicable for cellular networks with mobile base stations. We proposea channel allocation algorithm for cellular networks with mobile base stations. The proposedalgorithm is both fault-tolerant and reuses channels efficiently.KEYWORDS: distributed channel allocation, resource planning, fault-tolerance, cellular networks,3-cell cluster model.

<p>Background</p><p>The importance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is that they redesign organizational processes and structure. The new knowledge embedded in the ERP systems induces substantial changes in the businesses which adopt ERP systems. Furthermore, ERP implementations are socially complex and knowledge-intensive activities as several companies may be involved in a single ERP project and intensive knowledge transfer among these companies is vital for the success of the implementation projects.</p><p>Purpose</p><p>To date limited amount of research has been performed in the area of knowledge transfer in ERP implementations. My study answered the following questions:</p><p>1. What is the effect of the transfer of knowledge that is associated with ERP implementations?</p><p>2. What (if any) knowledge transfer barriers have been identified during the ERP implementation process?</p><p>3. What types of activities did the firms initiate to enable the knowledge transfer during the ERP implementation process?</p><p>Method</p><p>My research consisted of theoretical and empirical parts. Theoretical part entailed a thorough review of current literature on the ERP systems and knowledge management. Adopting a phenomenological approach I next collected the primary data through interviews and surveys with experts in the ERP implementation projects.</p><p>Results</p><p>I have described the area of knowledge transfer within ERP implementation projects and identified connections between ERP implementations and organizational learning. I have also uncovered and analyzed the origins of a number of factors that potentially inhibit or enable the knowledge transfer within implementation projects. I was able to connect the theoretical part of the thesis with empirical data and gained a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena at hand. Major barriers to the knowledge transfer stem from the tacit nature of the knowledge itself and the lack of social relationships within the various stakeholders. Activities organizations engage in are ‘knowledge conversion’ and relationships facilitation within the project team.</p>

This thesis focuses on the development of an innovative location-based scheduling methodology and a computer-based model for improving earthwork operations in road construction projects. Analysis of existing planning and scheduling practices in road construction projects conducted in the course of this research concluded that planning, scheduling and resource allocation are largely dependent on subjective decisions. Also, shortcomings exist due to the distinct characteristics of earthworks, e.g. one-off projects with uncertain site conditions and soil characteristics, causing delays and cost overruns of projects. The literature review found that existing linear scheduling methods provide inaccurate location-based information about earthworks and fail to integrate different productivity rates. A survey was used to capture and analyse industrial practices and issues related to delays and cost overruns. This analysis revealed that the accurate location-based information is vital for efficient resource planning and progress monitoring. Following these findings, a theoretical framework and specification were developed to automate location-based scheduling and visualisation of information. A prototype model was developed by integrating road design data, sectional quantities, productivity rates, unit cost, site access points, and arithmetic algorithms. The algorithms underpinning the model enable the generation of time-location plans automatically as a key output of the model. Weekly progress profiles, space congestion plans, and cost S-curves are the other outputs. A cut-fill algorithm was developed to identify optimum quantities of earthwork and its associated costs. Experiments were conducted with design data provided by a road construction company to demonstrate the model‟s functionality. Sensitivity analysis was used to identify the critical factors relating to earthwork scheduling. It was found that the model is capable of generating time-location plans, considering the critical factors and location aspects. Finally, the model was evaluated using a case study and validated by road construction professionals using an indirect comparison method. It was concluded that the model is a valuable tool for producing location-based scheduling, optimising resource planning and assisting in the communication of scheduling information from the location viewpoints in the earthwork projects.

M.Com. (Computer Auditing) / This study investigates the effects of the implementation and upgrade of financial Enterprise Resource Planning (hereafter ERP) systems, particularly the Oracle system, on financial reporting and audit. It also determines whether the independent external auditors play a vital role in the process of implementing internal controls in the implementation and upgrade of the Oracle system at a higher education institution (hereafter HEI). With the ever-evolving information technology, it is of utmost importance that the necessary controls be implemented. A sample of 18 Oracle system users from the HEI finance expenditure department and HEI independent external auditors is surveyed and the results of the survey are used to provide advice to organisational management on measures that should be implemented to ensure smooth systems implementation and post-implementation results. The empirical study indicates that the HEI had adequate measures and controls in place to ensure that the ERP implementation runs smoothly and threats are avoided, resulting in a successful implementation for competitive advantage in HEI.

Den tekniska utvecklingen går framåt och påverkar samhället i allt högre grad. Det finns samtidigt en oklarhet i hur verksamheter påverkas av den. Det framgår i studier att det behöver forskas mer kring hur den tekniska utvecklingen påverkar samhället. För att bidra till en ökad förståelse och kunskap inom området fokuserar den här studien på att granska ett område inom den tekniska utvecklingen och dess påverkan på värdenätverk inom en specifik bransch. Ett fenomen inom den tekniska utvecklingen som är på framfart är plattformsutvecklingen. Det är ett fenomen som förenklar och effektiviserar hur mjukvara hanteras och levereras samt beskrivs få konsekvenser för värdenätverk i branscherna som anammar det. Vilka konsekvenserna är, är dock oklart. Det beskrivs att en bransch som ser ut att anamma plattformsutvecklingen är affärssystembranschen. Dock är det även där oklart vad fenomenet kommer att innebära för branschen och dess värdenätverk. För att nå den ökade förståelsen och kunskapen som eftersträvades inleddes arbetet med att ta fram en litteraturstudie. Därefter gjordes en kvalitativ undersökning där empiriskt material samlades in genom att intervjua respondenter från konsultbolag och affärssystemleverantörer. Dessa två aktörer är de som traditionellt sett varit de som skapat värdena för slutkunderna i affärssystembranschen. Med hjälp av litteraturen och det empiriska materialet kunde studien sedan undersöka hur plattformsutvecklingen kan komma att påverka det traditionella värdenätverket i affärssystembranschen. Studiens resultat visar att plattformsutvecklingen påverkar affärssystembranschens värdenätverk och gör så på flera sätt. Om fenomenet anammas kan värdenätverket få fler roller, nya relationer mellan rollerna och förändrade och nya värden som utbyts mellan dem. Grunden till att plattformsutvecklingen påverkar värdenätverket på det här sättet är dess sätt att möjliggöra och främja nya sätt att samarbeta och skapa värden för slutkunderna.

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

Anpassningar i ett affärssystem är en komplex och problematisk process. Det är en utmaning för systemleverantörer att utveckla ett system som matchar organisationers behov och som inte kräver anpassning. Många kundorganisationer är i behov av att genomföra kundspecifika anpassningar i sitt system på grund av saknad funktionalitet. Systemleverantörer kan bemöta kunders behov på olika sätt där anpassning av kunders standardsystem kan genomföras. Är inte behovet av en anpassning genomförbar kan det krävas ändring av kundens affärsprocesser. Studien syftar till att bidra med kunskap om hur systemleverantörer arbetar med kunders önskemål om anpassningar i affärssystem. Studiens resultat beskriver hur systemleverantörer bemöter den problematik litteraturen redogör. Det presenteras även en specifik process för hur systemleverantörer kan arbeta med anpassningar.

A Integração de Aplicativos Empresariais (EAI, Enterprise Application Integration) entre empresas de uma mesma cadeia produtiva é uma inovação organizacional que proporciona grandes ganhos em competitividade, o que chega a ser vital no atual ambiente de negócios. Essa integração necessita de recursos nem sempre disponíveis nesses sistemas de gestão. Este estudo fez um levantamento dos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão Empresarial (ERP, Enterprise Resource Planning) mais utilizados no Brasil, a respectiva participação no mercado brasileiro e identificou para cada um deles quais seus recursos existentes para integração com outros ERP de outras organizações da cadeia. Tem-se como resultado um panorama no qual se pode apoiar para tomada de decisão ou usá-lo como ponto de partida para pesquisa do nível de utilização do recurso de integração de sistemas entre empresas no Brasil e das barreiras à implementação da mesma. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória que pela análise dos documentos disponibilizados pelos desenvolvedores dos softwares fez a identificação dos recursos de integração dos cinco sistemas ERP mais utilizados no Brasil. / Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) among companies of the same production chain is an organization innovation that provides meaningful gains in competitiveness, which may be critical in current business environment. This integration needs resources not always available in this management systems. This paper investigated Brazil most used ERP, their market share, and identified each ones existing resources to integrate with other ERP in other organizations in the chain. As a result, there is a full view on which to rely for decision making or to be taken as a start for an research on the system integration resource utilization level among Brazil companies and implementation barriers to it. It is a exploratory research, where by means of documentation made available by the softwares developers identified the integration resources of the five ERP systems most used in Brazil.