Large-scale international science projects (LISPs) are those projects where two or more countries formally agree to cooperate toward the achievement of a scientific, research and development, or engineering goal. In general, only projects exceeding $1 billion U.S. are considered LISPs, so sheer size commands attention, and because they are so costly and visible, failure can lead to significant scientific, financial and political consequences. This researched focused on how 7 different critical success factors impacted the level of technical interface knowledge shared among international partners involved in a large-scale international space science project (LISSP) – the International Space Station (ISS), which is currently under assembly and testing at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The research methodology employed documentation review, individual interviews and surveys of experienced engineers and managers from three different countries associated with the ISS. The research methodology was applied to three different cases (retrospectively) involving the processing of flight hardware from the three different international partners. The analysis showed that only 5 out of the 7-factor model played a significant role in the level of knowledge sharing between partners. The developed model provides future international partnerships with critical success factors that they can apply to their specific project / mission teams in order to improve the level of knowledge shared between them.

Many IT systems fail to realize their objectives because not enough attention has been paid to the business context in which the system functions. One reason expressed--an emphasized technical focus which tend to omit business and organizational issues germane to the organization's and the system's success. When an organization's information system is in line with, and provides support for its business strategy--strategic alignment--superior business performance is often the result. Within the Requirements Engineering (RE) community there has been several attempts to develop and utilize approaches which can illuminate business and organizational informational needs. In this dissertation, the DAGS framework is used to develop an integrated web-based requirements elicitation system which is based on Critical Success Factors (CSFs), Jackson's problem diagrams and organizational strategy analysis technique to represent and model an organization's IT requirements. This research employs the DAGS (multi-methodological approach consisting of Design Science, Action Research, Grounded Theory and System Development research methodologies) framework for Information System (IS) design to assist the Information Technology (IT) department in developing a collaborative user requirements system to assist in designing and constructing more effective information systems by incorporating the needs of various stakeholders in support of organizational goals while satisfying these varied needs. Top management's field of vision is represented in the CSFs which provide a compelling clarification of what is important to the organization. Failure to achieve a CSF directly affects the organization's ability to accomplish its mission; Research shows that alignment of IT systems with business strategy leads to superior organizational performance. Industry professionals have consistently considered alignment of IT with business strategy essential to their success thus requirements for an organization's information systems need to be aligned with the objectives of the business strategy that its stakeholders intend to support. This dissertation contributes to the literature on validating an organization's IT and Business Strategic alignment. It has also provided an example of research, grounded in theory but which is nevertheless relevant to business.

No / The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the evidence that human resource management (HRM) could contribute to the improvement of organizational and individual performance. It aims to examine the historical development of HRM and its emergence as a distinct management discipline. The evidence indicates that HRM is the product of several different traditions that range from a concern with employee welfare to the development of workplace relationships. The paper critically re‐evaluates what human performance is and assesses its contribution to organizational effectiveness. What is particularly important is the lack of empirical literature on the contribution of HRM and business performance. This paper will call for the re‐evaluation of more contemporary criteria of how people contribute to organizational performance in private, public and the emerging non‐profit making sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology adopted in this research uses critical literature on the contribution of human resource management performance. Findings: The main finding of this research is the understanding of the problems of research design in measuring the contribution of HRM to develop performance in organizations. Research limitations/implications: The research presented in this paper needs to review and standardize comparative research design to confirm the performance of HRM in organizations. It compares the alternative perspectives of measuring performance in financial criteria. Originality/value: This paper reviews the research between key authors for exploring the correlation between HRM and organizational performance for future research and examines the influence of human resource professional bodies.

BIM (Building Information Modelling) är idag ett exponentiellt ökande område inom byggindustrin, som inte visar några tecken att sakta ner. I takt med att BIM som koncept och process används i större omfattning både internationellt och nationellt, dyker problem dock oundvikligen upp vid dess implementering. De faktorer som orsakar dessa problem har i detta examensarbete givits termen CSF, ett begrepp som hittills ej använts inom svensk byggindustri. CSF står för Critical Success Factors, vilket innefattar det som i svenska arbeten annars till exempel kallats ”kritiska faktorer”, ”hindrande faktorer”, ”bromsande faktorer” etc. Syftet med detta arbete är därmed att utforska både begreppet CSF och dessa faktorer, samt deras betydelse och relevans. Utifrån tidigare studier, främst utländska, identifierades och introducerades termen CSF samt 14 sådana punkter, vilka gavs en utförligare beskrivning. För att ge dessa 14 punkter en lokal anknytning, intervjuades fem personer i svensk byggindustri med olika erfarenheter av BIM. Det framträdde då klara likheter mellan tidigare diskussion kring de identifierade punkterna och intervjuresultaten. De centrala tankar som kontinuerligt återkom under arbetets gång var värdet av gemensam och delad förståelse, samt vikten av att ta vara på redan etablerad kunskap inom byggindustrin. Det finns i branschen en ofta påtalad klyfta mellan olika generationer, vilket enligt detta arbete ses som det tydligaste exemplet både på en bristande förståelse och ett dåligt utnyttjande av tidigare kunskaper. Vid ett ineffektivt möte mellan olika erfarenheter och kunskaper så leder detta till friktion istället för utveckling, med bortslösade resurser och kunskaper som resultat. Ett stort fokus med detta arbete blev därför att betona den mänskliga aspekten av BIM-implementering snarare än de tekniska delarna. Slutligen konstaterar detta examensarbete att de 14 utvalda punkterna samt användandet av deras övergripande term CSF har ett mervärde både för framtida studier och framtidens implementeringar av BIM, vilket därmed även uppfyller rapporten syfte. / BIM (Building Information Modeling) is an exponentially growing field within the construction industry, with no signs of slowing down. However, as the process continues to spread on both an international and national scale, issues with implementation inevitably arise due to many different factors, in this work identified as CSF (Critical Success Factors). The purpose of this work is therefore to examine these factors, as well as the term CSF itself, with regards to meaning and relevance. Based on previous studies the term CSF, as well as 14 factors, were established. To correlate these internationally described factors to the Swedish market, five interviews featuring people with experience of BIM in Sweden were conducted, after which similarities and patterns could be recognized. The core concepts continually established throughout the work was the value of mutual and shared understanding, as well as the importance of utilizing previously established knowledge within the construction industry. The report concludes that the identified factors as well as the term CSF are both valid and beneficial for future discussions and implementations of BIM

Implementation av ERP-system är en av de viktigaste och dyraste implementationerna som företag genomgår. Systemen syftar till att stödja verksamhetsprocesser inom produktion, ekonomi och försäljning. Trots att ERP-system introducerades redan på 90-talet är det fortfarande många projekt som misslyckas, ungefär hälften av alla ERP-implementationer. Drygt 90 % av alla implementationsprojekt uppges antingen bli försenade eller överskrider budget. Kritiska framgångsfaktorer används för att organisationer på ett systematiskt sätt ska kunna identifiera de affärsområden som kräver uppmärksamhet och kunna fokusera resurserna på de områden som ökar chansen för att projektet ska lyckas. Den huvudsakliga forskningen på vilka framgångsfaktorer som är kritiska har gjorts på stora företag med bättre förutsättningar gällande erfarenhet, resurser, kunskap och budget. Det finns ännu ingen konsensus om vilka de kritiska framgångsfaktorerna är när det gäller ERP-implementation i små och medelstora företag. För att överbrygga ett kunskapsglapp har både konsulter som arbetar med ERP-implementation intervjuats samt representanter från kunderna. Studien har undersökt vilka framgångsfaktorer som konsulter respektive kunder anser vara kritiska vid en ERP-implementation vid svenska SME:er. En kvalitativ metod användes för att samla in information genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med sex respondenter. Resultatet visar att det finns en åsiktsskillnad mellan konsulterna och kunderna om vilka faktorer som är kritiska. Av åtta faktorer som påverkar projekten är alla respondenterna helt överens om tre. Studien öppnar för vidare forskning och diskussion om vilka faktorer som är kritiska vid ERP-implementation. Resultatet kan nyttjas av alla utövare för att få en bättre förståelse över vilka faktorer som anses vara kritiska beroende på yrkesroll vilket påverkar planering och allokering av resurser. / Implementation of ERP-systems are one of the most important and expensive implementations that businesses go through. Even though ERP-systems were introduced in the 90s there’re still many projects that fail, roughly half of all the ERP-implementations. About 90 % of all implementation projects are said to either be delayed or exceed the budget. Critical success factors are used so that organisations can systematically identify the business areas that require attention and to be able to focus their resources on the areas that increase the chances of the project’s success. The main research on which success factors are critical has been on big companies with better conditions regarding experience, resources, knowledge, and budget. There is still no consensus on which critical success factors are applicable when it’s about ERP-implementation in small and medium sized companies. To bridge a knowledge gap both consultants who work with ERP-implementations were interviewed and representants from the customers. This study has examined which success factors the consultants and the customers argue to be critical for ERP-implementation in Swedish SMEs. A qualitative method was used to gather information through semi-structured interviews with six respondents. The result show that there are different opinions between the consultants and the customers on which factors are critical. From eight factors that affect the projects are all the respondents fully agreeing on three. This study opens for further research and discussion on which factors are critical for ERP-implementation. All practitioners can use the result to get a better understanding on which factors are deemed to be critical depending on the professional role which affects planning and allocation of resources.

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) handlar om att koppla samman system för att tillfredsställa behov som inte kunnat tillfredsställas av systemen var och en för sig, eller upprätta nya kommunikationskanaler inom eller mellan företag. Allteftersom system och deras underliggande teknologier blivit mer avancerade har uppgiften att integrera dem blivit mer komplicerad. Genom att göra en fallstudie i samband med ett integrationsprojekt på ett företag syftar denna uppsats till att identifiera fallgropar som kan innebära risker för sådana projekt. En målsättning är att analyser kring dessa fallgropar ska kunna användas för att hjälpa utvecklare undvika dessa i sina projekt. Under fallstudien identifierades flera fallgropar genom analys av dokumentation och reflektion. Den fallgrop som hade störst påverkan under projektet var otydliga krav. Fallgroparna analyseras utifrån hur de upptäcktes och resonemang förs kring bidragande faktorer. För de fallgropar som utgjorde faktiska utmaningar under fallstudien analyseras även hur de undveks, medan potentiella lösningar diskuteras för resterande. / Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) concerns connecting systems together to meet demands that could not be met by either system individually, or to establish new channels for communication within and between enterprises. As the systems and their underlying technologies have become more advanced, the task of integrating them has become a more complicated one. By making a case study bound to an integration project at an enterprise, this study aims to identify pitfalls that could constitute risks for such projects. The main goal is for the analysis of these pitfalls to guide developers to avoid the pitfalls in their own projects. Several pitfalls were identified by analyzing documentation and reflecting on the course of the project. The pitfall that had the greatest impact during the project was unclear requirements. The pitfalls are analyzed with emphasis on circumstances under which they were discovered and contributing factors are reasoned about. For the pitfalls that were actual challenges for the case study, analysis also covers how they were avoided, while potential solutions are discussed for the remainder.

A successful Customer Relationships Management (CRM) implementation helps organisations to obtain competitive advantages over others by improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, increasing revenue and reducing operating costs. Effective CRM implementation has become more and more important owing to the huge percentage of failures that occur. This year, organisations are expected to spend about $13billion on implementing CRM. While a significant amount of research has been conducted into CRM implementations, particularly with respect to Critical Success Factors (CSFs), only a minority of the implementations have been successful. Culture plays a major role in CRM implementation. It is ranked one of the top three factors involved in CRM's CSFs. Culture, therefore, become significant issues when planning to implement CRM within the developing countries, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) due to its existing cultural differences. Very limited research into CSFs for CRM implementation in the KSA exists. This research, therefore, focuses on identifying the CSFs and their interrelationships for CRM implementation in the KSA with the ultimate aim of developing an integrated model that includes these factors and their interrelationships to support effective implementation of CRM solutions within the private sector of the KSA from both organisations' and customers' perspectives. It adopts an integrated mix of case study and Grounded Theory as a research strategy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and documentation, which was then analysed using Grounded Theory data analysis. The findings showed that adoption of CRM in the KSA revealed some additional CSFs to those found within other studies, such as customer culture and the country's policies and procedures. The interrelationships between the CSFs of CRM were identified and shown to be vital for successful CRM implementation. The results identified the relationships between CRM's CSFs and their key development stages. The findings were interpreted by using Institutional Theory. It was found that implementing a CRM solution as a response to institutional isomorphism pressures could lead to a conflict and mismatch of institutional logics among customers and CRM solutions. Organisations subjected to these pressures implemented CRM without the advantage of a cost-benefit analysis. This increased the failure of CRM adoption. This research makes six major contributions. Firstly, a theoretical contribution was made by applying Institutional Theory to enrich the understanding and interpretation of the research's findings. This provided useful insight into the main factors that affect the adoption of CRM and extended the line of research on the use of this theory to study Information Systems (IS) in organisations. Secondly, the development of the research model presented the CSFs that affected the adoption of CRM solutions and their interrelationships from both the organisations and customers' perspectives within KSA. Thirdly, the research identified thirty-one cause-and-effect relationships between CSFs that need to occur in a dependency mode for the success of CRM implementation. Fourthly, it identified that each CSF needs to be executed in certain stages during the CRM's development life cycle. Fifthly, this research provides organisations within the private sector in the KSA (those that intend to implement CRM solutions) with an extensive way of thinking about its CRM implementation. Finally, this research is one part of the very limited research focusing on the implementation of CRM solutions within the private sector in the KSA.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be a most efficient tool which is able to push economic and social development to experience significant progress and development as they offer useful services to consumers, and provide much needed employment. With this in consideration, they are useful for training, acquiring experience and technical and managerial skills. The objectives of this research are to identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Based on the literature review, 20 factors have been identified and subsequently structured into three groups, namely entrepreneurial, enterprise and environmental factors. The study also focuses on the SMEs Support Programme by identifying the current situation and accordingly providing recommendations based on those made by the support providers. Data have been collected by utilising a mixed method approach: first, 146 postal questionnaires with SME owners/managers have been analysed by using SPSS; second, in order to gain further understanding of the situation and particular challenges, 15 in-depth interviews with support providers have been conducted; and third, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been used to analyse the pairwise comparison of the factors. The main findings of this study are that, for the CSFs for SMEs in Saudi Arabia, three factors are deemed to be important both for owners/managers and support providers. These factors are quality of the product and service, customer satisfaction, and business planning. The findings also indicate that there are many 'important support gaps' which show that existing support needs to be addressed in order to improve and develop the support structure.

<p>Despite the existence of extensive literature regarding risk management, there still seems to be lack of knowledge in identification of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in this area. In this research Grounded Theory is implemented to identify CSFs in Risk Management Systems (RMS). Factor analysis and one-sample t-test are then used to refine and rank the CSFs based on the results of a survey which has been performed among Risk Management practitioners in various types of Swedish corporations. CSFs are defined from three different perspectives: (a) the factors that have influence on the inclination and readiness of corporation for implementing RMS. (b) the factors that are important during the design and implementation of RMS in corporation and can significantly affect the success of RMS design and implementation and (c) the factors that are crucially important to successfully run, maintain and administrate RMS after the closure of the project of RMS design and Implementation.</p><p>This systematic approach towards understanding the taxonomy of the success dimension in RMS is important for re-enforcing effective risk management practices.</p>

<p><strong>Title:</strong> Implementing an IBX e-procurement solution – are there any success factors?</p><p><strong>Subject: </strong>FE02E bachelor thesis, logistics</p><p><strong>Authors:</strong> Linus Jönsson, Emma Oscarsson, David Skoglund & Max Stafström</p><p><strong>Tutor:</strong> Roger Stokkedal</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> E-procurement, implementing, critical success factors, benefits, problems, MRO-products</p><p><strong>Background:</strong> One of the major problems that organizations face today is how to bring home savings. E-procurement solutions can be a tool to reach efficiency and reduce costs within organization. One of the biggest spend issues companies wrestle with are indirect material, also defined as MRO products (maintenance, repair, operations).</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> The thesis will examine why companies decide to implement an e-procurement solution and what their expectations are. The purpose of the research was to identify which the success factors are when implementing this type of solution. Eventual problems that may emerge during the implementation and benefits that the implementation might lead to, will also be presented.</p><p><strong>Methodology:</strong> The thesis has a survey design which studies variables in an e-procurement implementation. The scientific perspective is positivistic and has a deductive approach. The sample contains customers to IBX which use the entire solution, from planning to follow-up. The data has been gathered through a post-questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Result /Conclusion:</strong> When deciding to implement an e-procurement solution companies base this decision on a number of reasons. The most common reasons are to increase the internal efficiency and reduce the supplier base. There are also other encouraging reasons to the implementation which all concerns saving time and money. Once the decision has been made, expectations on the solution arise and companies expect the solution to bring benefits. Most common expectations are much alike the reasons concerning saving time and money on purchases of MRO-products. Besides the reasons and expectation companies must consider the critical success factors, both before, during and after the implementation. These factors will determine whether or not the implementation will be a success and they can be divided into factors that affect all companies and factors that just affect some. The key factors, affect all, are defining an e-procurement strategy, change management and training and education. Secondary factors will affect some companies, and depending on the situation organizations must take them into their perspective. These factors are i.e. well defined steering group and communication. If companies don´t consider the success factors problems may emerge, where change management is one of the most common problem. This is an organizationalproblem just like lack of information from external parts and lack in project management skills internally. Besides the organizational problems companies can also experience technical problems, which are directly associated to the solution that‟s implemented. Some of these problems are complex usability, complicated to communicate and integrate. By avoiding the problems companies can expect to see more benefits from the solution, the most experienced benefits are compliance savings, reduced supplier base and lowered administrative costs. These benefits mainly considers time saving and are all associated with the reasons to the implementation and expectations on the solutionResult /Conclusion: When deciding to implement an e-procurement solution companies base this decision on a number of reasons. The most common reasons are to increase the internal efficiency and reduce the supplier base. There are also other encouraging reasons to the implementation which all concerns saving time and money. Once the decision has been made, expectations on the solution arise and companies expect the solution to bring benefits. Most common expectations are much alike the reasons concerning saving time and money on purchases of MRO-products. Besides the reasons and expectation companies must consider the critical success factors, both before, during and after the implementation. These factors will determine whether or not the implementation will be a success and they can be divided into factors that affect all companies and factors that just affect some. The key factors, affect all, are defining an e-procurement strategy, change management and training and education. Secondary factors will affect some companies, and depending on the situation organizations must take them into their perspective. These factors are i.e. well defined steering group and communication. If companies don´t consider the success factors problems may emerge, where change management is one of the most common problem. This is an organizationalproblem just like lack of information from external parts and lack in project management skills internally. Besides the organizational problems companies can also experience technical problems, which are directly associated to the solution that‟s implemented. Some of these problems are complex usability, complicated to communicate and integrate. By avoiding the problems companies can expect to see more benefits from the solution, the most experienced benefits are compliance savings, reduced supplier base and lowered administrative costs. These benefits mainly considers time saving and are all associated with the reasons to the implementation and expectations on the solution.</p>