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.

The objective of the current study is to explore and identify the Critical Success Factors (CSFs), which impact upon the effective implementation of Human Resource Development (HRD) initiatives in support of nationalisation, and to recommend a model for practical application and future research. Accordingly the study focused on identifying and analysing the various factors in the localisation of a workforce with regard to five broad categories, namely: national level factors, organisational (policies and practices related) factors, organisational (HR related) factors, individual level (expatriate and experienced staff related) factors and individual level (UAE national related) factors. The data for the study was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods were used to develop an in-depth case study of the Emiratisation process in an oil and gas organisation, as well as for identifying the critical success factors to be included in the survey questionnaire for collecting the quantitative data. The results of the study indicated that the critical success factors identified in the study are part of a complicated reality and need to be managed to ensure success of the localisation of a workforce. The mean scores obtained on the various factors differed significantly across the organisations or sub groups of respondents used in the study. This indicates that the impact of various factors that facilitate or constrain the localisation efforts are highly contextual and organisation specific. The findings of the study revealed valuable insights that could enrich not only future research in the area, but also the practical application of HR tools and methods to support the localisation process. The current study also developed a model for practical application and future research in the area. The model identified the role of HR strategies and tools as critical for managing the CSFs and ensuring the success of the process of localisation. The model developed in the current study also emphasises the need to define the 'success' of localisation in much broader terms, by addressing complex issues such as, employee morale and motivation, expectations of all employees, including expatriates and so forth, rather than just focusing on the number of UAE nationals employed and their competencies. The current study also identified some of the limitations of the study and highlighted suggestions for future research.

The primary objective of the study was to determine the business success factors for the second-hand motor vehicle industry in the Vaal Triangle. This kind of study has never been conducted before within the Vaal Triangle and it is therefore intended to contribute to the body of knowledge within the field of entrepreneurship. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to dealerships within the Vaal Triangle region, and it was administered by the researcher. There are one hundred and twenty three (123) dealerships in the Vaal Triangle and fifty eight (58) participated in the study. The demographics of the study revealed that males dominate car dealerships as compared to females, and also that Whites and Indians are the dominating races. Most participants are relatively young, i.e. less than 35 years and also the majority of dealerships are less than 15 years old. Furthermore, the study found that participants preferred starting a business from their pockets rather than going to the bank or government institutions such as IDC or NEF for funding. There was no significant difference in opinion between males and females. There were, however, medium to large differences in opinion between owner, manager and sales executive on some of the entrepreneurial constructs, for example, customer services and SME characteristics. The study concluded that business success factors for the second-hand car industry in the Vaal Triangle region are (ranked from highest to lowest): Entrepreneurial competences, Marketing of the dealership, Dealership location, Product and Customer services, Characteristics of the Small Medium Enterprise and lastly, Resources and funding of the business. Based on the results of the analysis and discussions, practical recommendations are made which will assist in improving the knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship within the car industry. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The primary objective of the study was to determine the business success factors for the second-hand motor vehicle industry in the Vaal Triangle. This kind of study has never been conducted before within the Vaal Triangle and it is therefore intended to contribute to the body of knowledge within the field of entrepreneurship. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to dealerships within the Vaal Triangle region, and it was administered by the researcher. There are one hundred and twenty three (123) dealerships in the Vaal Triangle and fifty eight (58) participated in the study. The demographics of the study revealed that males dominate car dealerships as compared to females, and also that Whites and Indians are the dominating races. Most participants are relatively young, i.e. less than 35 years and also the majority of dealerships are less than 15 years old. Furthermore, the study found that participants preferred starting a business from their pockets rather than going to the bank or government institutions such as IDC or NEF for funding. There was no significant difference in opinion between males and females. There were, however, medium to large differences in opinion between owner, manager and sales executive on some of the entrepreneurial constructs, for example, customer services and SME characteristics. The study concluded that business success factors for the second-hand car industry in the Vaal Triangle region are (ranked from highest to lowest): Entrepreneurial competences, Marketing of the dealership, Dealership location, Product and Customer services, Characteristics of the Small Medium Enterprise and lastly, Resources and funding of the business. Based on the results of the analysis and discussions, practical recommendations are made which will assist in improving the knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship within the car industry. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

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.

Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) in terms of the replacement of the in-house production of IT activities by the use of third party suppliers had already started in the 1960s and has increased considerably. For 2013, the Gartner Group expected that the global ITO market would reach a volume of 288 bn US dollars. Until 2017, the market should grow on average about 5.4% yearly. Despite the rich set of experiences companies have already had with ITO, the chances of success are seen as at best 50:50. Currently, the dramatic growth of ITO is accompanied by backsourcing of formerly outsourced IT functions or reports about dissatisfaction and problems with ITO. Scientists put ITO failures or problems down to a lack of modelling of all the possible factors affecting ITO success and demand a specific ITO theory as a basis for better explaining and predicting successes and failures in an IT sourcing context. This thesis takes up this research gap. The aim of this thesis is to develop a novel ITO Model which aids organisations in planning and implementing ITO solutions by guiding them through the ITO process steps of preparation, selection, contract, transition, execution, and post-deal comprising a comprehensive picture of the weighted aspects relevant to ITO success and their interdependencies. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives were established for this thesis: raising the topical level of scientific knowledge of the last decades about successinfluencing factors in the ITO field based on an extensive literature survey of 48 scientific articles deriving ITO success factors from empirical research work; structuring of this success factor knowledge by the development of two ITO taxonomies (taxonomy of success factors and taxonomy of success factor interdependencies); testing its practical applicability on the basis of 8 real long-running application outsourcing cases in the banking industry; further development of the success factor knowledge by identification of weightings and the temporal relevance of relevant success factors / success factor interdependencies within the ITO process. Design of the novel ITO Model based on the empirical knowledge gained by development of rules for relevant success factors and success factor interdependencies, by arrangement of these rules in temporal order within the ITO process and by assignment of these rules to four levels of environment.

Studien utgår från det faktum att var femte köp i Sverige idag görs på Internet, vilket sätter press på e-handelsföretagen att differentiera sig, både inhemskt och på den internationella arenan. Tre faktorer är värda att nämna, då dessa är aspekter som de fysiska butikerna inte konkurrerar med i samma utsträckning som e-handel. Problemet utgår således från e-handlarens1 framgångsfaktorer utifrån ett konsumentperspektiv. Studiens syfte består av två delar. Vi vill dels undersöka hur viktiga faktorerna webbdesign, kundrelationer och distribution är för konsumenter, dels få en djupare förståelse för konsumentbeteendet samt i vilken utsträckning faktorerna kan användas i en internationaliseringsprocess. En metodkombination har tillämpats med ett konstruktionistiskt och abduktivt angreppssätt. Urvalet bestod av 200 respondenter i Stockholm som någon gång handlat från ett renodlat e-handelsföretag, på vilka en enkätundersökning genomfördes. En semi-strukturerad intervju samt en etnografisk deltagande observation genomfördes på företag. E-handeln är en dynamisk handelsplattform som ständigt förändras. För att företagen ska dels hinna med och dels konkurrera måste de förstå konsumenternas resa - från vilka marknadsföringskanaler de använder till hur köpprocessen ser ut. Det är väsentligt att e-handelsföretagen personaliserar webbdesignen, kundrelationen och distributionen utifrån online-kundens önskemål. Inför en utlandsetablering måste e-handlare efterlikna varje marknad som om det vore sin inhemska. Den lokala kunskapen om konsumenter på respektive marknad är avgörande för e-handlarens framgång utomlands. / Background and problem: In Sweden, every fifth purchase is made on the Internet today, which pressure e-Commerce companies to differentiate if they want to remain competitive, both domestically as internationally. Three factors are worth mentioning, as these are aspects that physical stores do not compete with in the same extent as e-Commerce. The problem therefore derives from the e-Commerce company’s success factors based on a consumer perspective. Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study is divided into two parts. One intends to examine, from a consumer perspective, how the factors of website design, customer relationships and distribution, can be used within partial e-Commerce companies in the B2C market. The second part is to gain a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and the extent to which factors can be used in a process of internationalization. Method: A methodological combination has been applied with a constructionist approach. The sample consisted of 200 respondents in Stockholm who has ever made a purchase from a partial e-Commerce company, conducted the survey. A semi-structured interview and an ethnographic participant observation were completed on companies. Results and conclusions: e-Commerce is a dynamic trading platform, which is constantly changing. Consumers are becoming more demanding as the digital evolution develops. For companies to compete, they must understand consumers' journey - from which marketing channels they use to how the consumer buying process looks like. It is essential that e-companies personalize web design, customer relationships and the distribution based on consumer behavior online. Facing an establishment abroad requires a lot of expertise and resources, as e-Commerce companies must imitate every market as if it was their home. In other words, the local knowledge about consumers in each market is crucial to the e-Commerce companies’ achievement on the international arena.

This study explored the factors that are critical to the success of public (government) sector knowledge management initiatives and the lessons from private sector knowledge management and organizational learning that apply in the public sector. The goal was to create a concise guide, based on research-validated success factors, to aid government organizations in establishing effective knowledge management initiatives to improve organizational learning. Academic and business literature provided 91 success factors in nine categories relating to social, organizational, managerial, and technological considerations. Determining which factors will have more bearing on success can be challenging for any organization, but possibly more so for public organizations, given that most guidance derives from the private sector. Many of the few government oriented studies targeted service to the public, but effective services depend on healthy processes and practices that capture, organize, share, maintain, apply, and--when complex, turbulent environments demand novel approaches--create new knowledge to enable desired outcomes. A review of knowledge management and organizational learning literature--most of which reflected private sector initiatives--provided a set of candidate success factors. A panel of knowledge management experts with public sector experience tested a draft survey instrument and provided suggestions for improving its questions and organization. Links to the amended survey instrument were provided in online and email solicitations targeting members of online professional communities dedicated to knowledge management and organizational learning, and who had experience with public sector knowledge management initiatives. Members of these communities participated, providing insights into the factors that most affected the success of their initiatives. After responding to the survey questions, 17 participants clarified and expanded on some of their responses during follow-on interviews. Analysis and conclusions based on survey and interview findings supplemented the literature review in providing content for the guide, which has been offered to participants.

This dissertation offers a platform to understand the nature of cluster initiatives as a socio-economic phenomenon combining cluster, entrepreneurship and intermediary features. They are particular types of ventures facilitating networks and dialog platforms adjusted to local contexts and offering a way to enhance regional development. The success of clusters and regions is shaped by the degree they are based on and involve entrepreneurial activity, which is viewed here under the prism of cluster initiatives. This dissertation uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches to study various organizational aspects of cluster initiatives and their intermediary role as well as providing recommendations for the management and support of these organizations. It is based on five papers written by the author of the dissertation solely and in collaboration with other scholars where the level of analysis is focused on cluster initiatives. Based on empirical material from the papers this dissertation brings together both the structural and organizational content of cluster initiatives by providing evidence in the areas of actors and relationships, mode of organization and intermediary specific, assessment and management as well as policy. This work has generated the following conclusions: firstly, cluster initiatives represent organizations bringing together a four-faceted constellation of interrelated actors (i.e. the initiative itself, key player, support and target group), through organization of intermediary activities. Secondly, these organizations are organized as temporary projects, but being able to attract many members and to satisfy their needs through diversified and innovative activities can help them to achieve longevity. The longevity of initiatives can also be supported by policy, which in order to become effective, should include a long-term perspective and bottom-up approach. And finally, the study proposes a model of five central qualitative success factors to be used for the assessment and management of the initiatives, which together depict a holistic picture of their functioning. This model contains elements such as idea, driving forces, activities, organization and critical mass. The two models of interrelated actors and of success factors form the main contribution of this work. Extending the stream of studies this dissertation raises awareness and calls for recognition of cluster initiatives as important actors working in-between the boundaries of other organizations and institutions. / PIE/HELIX