Understanding enterprise system customization: an exploration of implementation realities and the key influence factors

Citation

Haines, M.N. (2009), "Understanding enterprise system customization: an exploration of implementation realities and the key influence factors", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 17 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2009.04417gad.004

Understanding enterprise system customization: an exploration of implementation realities and the key influence factors

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 17, Issue 7

Haines M.N.Information Systems Management (USA), Spring 2009, Vol. 26 No. 2, Start page: 182, No. of pages: 17

Purpose – studies the factors influencing companies in their decision to customize their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Design/methodology/approach – a review of the literature of ERP systems and the reasons why companies choose such systems and decide to customize them is presented. Describes the development of a conceptual framework of ERP customization to guide the research and its application to five case studies of unnamed US organizations, comprising four manufacturing companies in the lighting, construction and transportation industries and one large charity. Reports the gathering of data by means of 23 interviews with participants who were involved with the ERP systems in different capacities. Findings – the results identified 13 key factors influencing ERP customization, classified into four categories (strategy, institution, project, system), comprising: business unit strategic importance; information systems (IS) complexity; standard solution maturity; ERP vendor relationship; methodology and timeline; implementation partner involvement; customization request management; project team configuration; user involvement and preparation; project leadership and support; resistance to change; business partners; and business unit differentiation. Concludes that the accepted notion of ERP customization as a complex and often costly activity with potentially critical implications for the overall performance of an organization was supported by the research. Research limitations/implications – the research was limited by the inherent limitations of the multi-case study research design. Practical implications – the model will help practitioners to understand the influences on customization activities and identify ways of managing customization. Originality/value – contributes to the better understanding of a key aspect of ERP implementation, the customization of ERP modules.ISSN: 1058-0530Reference: 38AN002

Keywords: Manufacturing resource planning, Computer software, Customization, Strategic alignment, Resource sharing, Manufacturing systems, Manufacturing, Organizations, Charities, United States of America, Surveys, Case studies