Thesis (MA (Information Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The globalised business environment of the 21st century is a complex space for organisations
to navigate. As a means of dealing with the challenges and demands brought about
by increased interconnectedness and interdependence, organisations are increasingly turning
to information and communication technology (ICT), and especially advanced forms
of ICT such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. An ERP system encompasses
the promise of a seamless integration of business processes to be managed by a
single business software application, which can be used to increase competitiveness and
assist managers in strategically positioning their organisations for the future.
This is especially true in the case of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which
constitute a large and important part of the economies of numerous countries. As the ERP
systems market for larger organisations became saturated at the beginning of the previous
decade, ERP system vendors started to target SMEs by developing smaller and less
expensive software solutions specifically aimed at this market segment. However, research
has shown that these enterprises differ from their larger counterparts in size-specific and
industry-specific ways which can greatly affect their acquisition of ERP systems: SMEs
often face severe resource constraints and cannot afford the costs associated with failed
ERP system implementation efforts. As a result, it becomes all the more important to
follow a proper ERP system selection procedure before committing scarce and irrevocable
resources to implementation.
The purpose of this thesis is to define and describe the size-specific and industryspecific
factors that play an important role during ERP system selection (Chapter 1).
ERP system selection factors in the literature are summarised and synthesised into a
comprehensive framework used to guide the execution of the study (Chapter 2). To this end, a qualitative case study was conducted on an SME in the wine industry of the Western
Cape that was in the process of selecting an ERP system. Data were collected by
critically analysing and reviewing documents, conducting direct observations of requirements
analysis meetings and interviewing participants purposefully selected for the study
(Chapter 3). Five major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data and from
this a total of 14 selection factors are identified (Chapter 4). These results largely corroborate
existing selection factors from the literature and allows ideas proposed by various
authors to be expanded on. In this way, a theoretical foundation is laid for the development
of an ERP system selection model for SMEs in the Western Cape wine industry
in future research (Chapter 5). The contribution of this research lies in the emphasis it
places on the different benefits and shortcomings present in each quadrant of the proposed
model and the explanation it provides for how this influences a selection factor trade-off
that is unique to each organisation and the industry it operates in. This insight can be
used to direct the ERP system selection process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die geglobaliseerde besigheidsomgewing van die 21ste eeu is ’n komplekse ruimte waarbinne
organisasies moet navigeer. Daarom wend organisasies hulle toenemend tot informasieen
kommunikasietegnologie (IKT), en veral ondernemingshulpbronbeplannings (OHB)-
sisteme, in ’n poging om hierdie arena se uitdagings en vereistes wat deur toenemende
interverbinding en -afhanklikheid meegebring word die hoof te bied. ’n OHB-sisteem dra
die belofte van ’n uniforme integrasie van besigheidsprosesse wat deur ’n enkele besigheidsagtewareprogrammatuur
bestuur kan word. Dit kan aangewend word om mededingendheid
te bevorder en om bestuurders by te staan om hul organisasies strategies te
posisioneer vir die toekoms.
Dit is veral van toepassing in die geval van klein- tot medium-grootte ondernemings
(KMOs) wat ’n groot en belangrike deel van die ekonomieë van verskeie lande verteenwoordig.
Teen die begin van die vorige dekade het OHB-sisteemverkopers hul fokus van
groot ondernemings na KMOs verskuif deur kleiner en goedkoper sagteware te ontwikkel
wat spesifiek op hierdie marksegment gemik was. Navorsing het egter bewys dat
hierdie ondernemings van hul groter eweknieë verskil in terme van grootte en industrie
en dat dit ’n beduidende impak kan hê op die verwerwing van OHB-sisteme: KMOs
ervaar dikwels ernstige hulpbrontekorte en kan nie die koste verbonde aan mislukte OHBsisteemimplementering
bekostig nie. Gevolglik raak dit toenemend belangrik dat hierdie
ondernemings ’n behoorlike OHB-sisteemseleksieprosedure volg, voordat skaars en onvervangbare
hulpbronne aan die implementering van dié sagteware bestee word.
Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die grootte- en industrie-spesifieke faktore wat ’n belangrike
rol gedurende OHB-sisteemseleksie speel te definieer en te beskryf (Hoofstuk 1).
OHB-sisteemseleksiefaktore in die literatuur is opgesom en saamgevat in ’n omvattende raamwerk wat die uitvoering van die studie gerig het (Hoofstuk 2). ’n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie
is gevolglik uitgevoer op ’n KMO in die Wes-Kaapse wynindustrie wat besig was
om ’n OHB-sisteem te selekteer. Data is ingesamel deur dokumente krities te analiseer
en te hersien, deur direkte observasies van behoefte-analise-vergaderings te maak en onderhoude
te voer met deelnemers aan die studie, wat spesifiek vir hierdie doel geselekteer
is (Hoofstuk 3). Vyf prominente temas en ’n totaal van 14 seleksiefaktore is vanuit die
analise van die data bepaal (Hoofstuk 4). Hierdie resultate bevestig grotendeels bestaande
seleksiefaktore in die literatuur en fasiliteer die verdere uitbou van bestaande idees van
verskeie outeurs. Op hierdie manier word ’n teoretiese grondslag vir die ontwikkeling van
’n model vir OHB-sisteemseleksie in toekomstige navorsing gelê (Hoofstuk 5). Die bydrae
van hierdie navorsing lê in die klem wat dit plaas op die verskillende voor- en nadele
teenwoordig in elke kwadrant van die voorgestelde model en in die verduideliking van die
impak daarvan op ’n uitruiling van seleksiefaktore wat uniek is aan elke organisasie en
die industrie waarin dit werksaam is. Hierdie insig kan uiteindelik gebruik word om die
OHB-sisteemseleksieprosedure te rig.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17895 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Wiid, Hermanus Jacobus |
| Contributors | Le Roux, Daniel, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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