I DO NOT CONSENT to the submission of the thesis for examination. I am satisfied with the Turnitin Similarity Index. The study found some fundamental gaps, largely of a people nature, in ERP implementation methodologies of the company studied.
- Introduction and Background
- Rationale for the Study
- Problem Statement
- Focus of the Study
- Research Objectives
- Research Questions
- Significance of the Study
- Methodology in brief
- Chapter outline
- Summary
To determine the causes of failure of ERP implementations in the Teichmann Plant Hire (Edms) context. Chapter two provides the theoretical basis of the study in the form of a literature review.
Introduction
Business Information Systems
As shown in Figure 2.1, organizations are typically divided into three levels and each of these levels places different demands on information systems due to the nature of the decisions made at each level in the hierarchy. Strategic – At this level the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the company are determined.
Critical Success Factors
Equally important is the careful selection of ERP project winners (super users) who are representative of business functional areas. The role of user involvement in an ERP project was briefly addressed during the selection of the ERP system that best suits the company.
ERP and Change Management
The model divides the change management task into 3 simple, practical and distinct steps, namely unfreeze, change and refreeze (Vincent, 2013). Therefore, in search of delivering a successful ERP project, organizations should do the following (Suraweera et al., 2012):. -freeze – Reinforces new behaviors, values and attitudes as the norm until the next cycle for change in the dynamic business environment is achieved.
Communicate effectively, emphasizing the ERP benefits for stakeholders, to influence the cognitive and affective aspects of user attitudes towards the new ERP implementation project. The change management model proposed by Aladwami (2001) attaches great importance to effective change management strategies with the aim of shaping the right user attitude towards the new ERP system. Action research approaches change by systematically collecting data about the problem, analyzing the data, and then selecting change actions based on analyzed data (Robbins et al., 2013).
Compared to other change management strategies, action research has two clear quick wins for organizations – being problem-focused and powerful. A review of ERP change management would be incomplete without including organizational development (OD) and the role of effective management. ERP implementing organizations can enjoy higher success rates if they incorporate planned change interventions built on humanistic and democratic values using such OD techniques as team building, sensitivity training, survey feedback, process consultation and inter-group development (Robbins et al., 2013).
Summary
- Introduction
- Research design
- Overview of possible methods
- Research Instruments
- Limitations
- Ethical considerations
- Summary
The main result of this process was the identification of main themes from articles such as effective management of critical success factors, effect of CSFs on ERP project outcomes as well as the identification of the CSFs themselves. While open coding focused on identifying main categories and themes in the data set, this coding cycle was aimed at a more focused examination of the raw data. This was the last phase of the qualitative content analysis which aimed to satisfy the first of the three research objectives.
Based on the quantitative nature of data that would be collected for this part of the research and research questions, questionnaires were chosen as the primary data collection tool. Data collected is only as good as the characteristics of the population (their memory, motivation, experience, etc.). A sample on the other hand refers to only a subset of the population in question and can be derived using a number of possible approaches.
The objectives of the survey were clearly stated and it was made categorically clear that participation was purely voluntary. Study weaknesses can potentially affect the reliability of the findings or the degree to which the findings are generalizable. Ethical clearance for this study (refer to Appendix C) was approved and granted in full by the Ethics committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Introduction
Quantitative Analysis
The results show that the majority (58.2%) are not aware of the company's intention to deploy a group-wide ERP system. From Table 4.6, while the majority of respondents from Finance (23 are aware and 6 are not) reported that they were aware of the intention to implement a group-wide ERP system, respondents from Civils department (25 false and 0 aware) all unaware of this business intent. Chi-square tests were then performed on response data as depicted in Table 4.10 to determine whether significant associations exist between job status and willingness to adopt a new ERP system, as well as job status of respondent and their previous involvement in ERP implementation projects.
In order to get a full understanding of the way respondents rated the statements, Table 4.12 below provides detailed information on how each statement was rated. Descriptive statistics in Table 4.13 show that the majority of respondents disagreed with the statements (2.82>=mean<=2.98), the standard deviation (all > 1) also reflects the discrepancy in how respondents perceived commitment of top management to ERP causes. The "Average" column in Table 4.15 shows that few respondents agree with the statements regarding the role of ERP consultants (all average < 3).
Table 4.16 shows that most participants chose the neutral option of neither agreeing nor disagreeing. A total of 141 respondents exhausted their allocated budget of 100 resources (a total of 14100 units) and divided it among 15 competing resource consumption areas to provide the results shown in descending mean order in Table 4.21. The "Mean Value" column in Table 4.21 refers to the average number of units allocated to a particular item by participants from their fixed budget of 100.
Qualitative Analysis
Discussion of Results
For all dimensions D1 to D4, the mean outcomes were all below but close to 3, meaning that participants believed that ERP consultants in Teichmann did not add as much value to implementations as expected in the past. The negativity towards ERP consultants in the survey can therefore be attributed to internal factors such as quality of Teichmann ERP project management skills. In the absence of this strict project monitoring, runaway project costs arise that are not matched by outputs; leading to consultants becoming permanent features on a client site (a true sign that knowledge transfer has not occurred).
Employees expect to be treated as valuable assets, and it's the little things like consulting with them or seeking their input on a topic that will affect them that make the difference between supporting a strategy-supporting ERP project and costly resistance to the project ERP. Another silent killer of ERP projects is the incompetence of ERP project management appointed by the implementing company. For example, ERP project managers do not come from business functional areas that require ERP systems to be approached from a technical, as opposed to a business, perspective.
The final part of the survey consisted of an optional qualitative response question asking for further participant opinions on change management initiatives aimed at positioning the company towards flawless execution of ERP systems in the future. The need for on-site IT presence is explained by participant responses in the demographic section. The Japanese believe in the principle of 'Genchi Genbutsu', which means 'Go out and discover it for yourself'.
Key Study Findings
Full support from top management is demonstrated, for example, in appropriate project sponsorship, provision of resources, leadership, conflict resolution and communication of the business case to all stakeholders. A good choice of ERP project team - the right skills, competences and willingness to put in the effort in the project.
Summary
This is followed by presenting recommendations and suggestions for future areas of research in the domain of ERP project failure.
Introduction
Summary and Conclusion
The focus of this study was therefore to gain insights into ERPs implementation processes by examining the CFS in ERPs implementation, as well as investigating the underlying causes of ERPs failure in the construction and contracting industry. To address the purpose of the study, a sample of 148 geographically dispersed respondents, from a company that has operations across different African countries, was used. Initial examination of the data showed that all three objectives were met; indicating that successful implementation of ERPs is positively influenced by certain key factors.
Has the data answered research questions?
Policy implications
Managerial implications and recommendations of the study
Survey results revealed that 59% of respondents are not aware of the company's intention to deploy a Group-wide ERP system in the course of 2015. It is essential for every internal stakeholder to be aware of the company's ERP roadmap, the rationale for starting. on the ERP journey and any inherent change implications (Somers and Nelson, 2004). Communication of the ERP message should be regular and where possible, come from authoritative offices of the Directors or Chief Executive Officer.
Top management should also show support through adequate project sponsorship, decentralization of ERP decision-making, change management, and painting the strategic future picture established in the ERP system (Young and Jordan, 2008). If change management skills are not readily available in the Teichmann talent pipeline, commercial change management agents in the market can be hired for the duration of the ERP project. Half of the respondents are new to the company (less than 2 years) and are therefore still on the learning curve of the business process.
Teichmann's Human Resource Management strategy must be aligned to respond to the growing needs of the business. It is the duty of ERP project management to evaluate the various Cloud Computing ERP offerings and recommend those that provide the best return on investment. As applied to ERP systems, the Pareto rule states that companies should aim to implement 20% of ERP functionality very well to drive 80% of business processes.
Limitations and areas for further studies
This objective was achieved through an extensive review of ERP literature focusing on critical success and critical failure factors. The study also extensively examined the Teichmann ERP implementation environment for the presence or absence of identified Critical Success Factors as identified from literature. Indeed, ERP systems promise significant value to business, but before value can be realized, organizations must ensure that critical success factors are adequately addressed in their respective environments.
Vicious and virtuous cycles in ERP implementation: A case study of the interrelationships between critical success factors. Exploring Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and Constraints of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: The Case of Egyptian Hotels.
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