Performance measurement based co-ordination of enterprise resource planning systems in a virtual enterprise

As the backbone of e-business, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)system plays an important role in today's competitive business environment. Few publications discuss the application of ERP systems in a virtual enterprise (VE). A VE is defined as a dynamic partnership among enterprises that can bring together complementary core competencies needed to achieve a business task. Since VE strongly emphasises partner cooperation, specific issues exist relative to the implementation of ERP systems in a VE. This paper discusses the use of VE Performance Measurement System(VEPMS) to coordinate ERP systems of VE partners. It also defines the framework of a `Virtual Enterprise Resource Planning (VERP) system', and identifies research avenues in this field.

An investigation into enterprise structure and ERP implementations:a contribution to praxis

This professional doctoral research reports on the relationship between Enterprise Systems, specifically Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, and enterprise structures. It offers insights and guidance to practitioners on factors for consideration in the implementation of ERP systems in organisations operating in modern enterprise structures. It reports on reflective ethnographic action research conducted in a number of companies from a diverse range of industries covering supply chains for both goods and services. The primary contribution is in highlighting areas in which clients, practitioners and ERP software vendors can bring a greater awareness of internet era enterprise structures and business requirements into the ERP arena. The concepts and insights have been explored in a focus group setting, comprised of practitioners from the enterprise systems implementation and consulting fraternity and revealed limitations and constraints in the implementation of enterprise systems. However, it also showed that current systems do not have the full capabilities required to support, in use, modern era enterprise structures, as required by practitioners and decision makers.

A simulation of an ERP implementation with informal processes

This paper presents a discrete event simulation study to examine tenancy service performance in a shopping centre. The study aims to provide an understanding of how informal management mechanisms could enhance existing ERP systems. The research shows the potential benefits of combining the traditional strengths of ERP in providing better performance in terms of efficiency with the ability to react with flexibility to customer's requests. © 2012 SIMULATION COUNCILS, INC.

A new dynamic framework for managing ERP development and enterprise strategy

The enterprise management (EM) approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to align information technology (IT) innovation with global markets and volatile virtualization, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their enterprise structures alongside repositioning strategy and establish new information system (IS) architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This chapter shows how ERP engage-abilities cater to three distinctive EM patterns and resultant strategies. The purpose is to examine the presumptions and importance of combing ERP and inter-firm relations relying on the virtual value chain concept. From a review of the literature on ERP development and enterprise strategy, exploratory inductive research studies in Zoomlion and Lanye have been conducted. In addition, the authors propose a dynamic conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption and governance of ERP in the three enterprise management forms and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm. © 2012, IGI Global.

The core critical success factors in implementation of enterprise resource planning systems

The Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems require huge investments while ineffective implementations of such projects are commonly observed. A considerable number of these projects have been reported to fail or take longer than it was initially planned, while previous studies show that the aim of rapid implementation of such projects has not been successful and the failure of the fundamental goals in these projects have imposed huge amounts of costs on investors. Some of the major consequences are the reduction in demand for such products and the introduction of further skepticism to the managers and investors of ERP systems. In this regard, it is important to understand the factors determining success or failure of ERP implementation. The aim of this paper is to study the critical success factors (CSFs) in implementing ERP systems and to develop a conceptual model which can serve as a basis for ERP project managers. These critical success factors that are called “core critical success factors” are extracted from 62 published papers using the content analysis and the entropy method. The proposed conceptual model has been verified in the context of five multinational companies.

A socio-technical perspective on ERP implementation

This paper provides an analysis of ERP implementation in the context of social-technical information systems management theory. The paper provides a discussion of how ERP systems can contribute to the development of a new generation of business management that combines both formal and informal mechanisms. This could be achieved through the use of informal communities of an enterprise that could both collaborate efficiently with a common ERP platform with a certain level of standardization but also have the flexibility in order to provide an agile reaction to internal and external events. © 2012 IADIS.

A new dynamic framework for managing ERP development and enterprise strategy

The enterprise management (EM) approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to align information technology (IT) innovation with global markets and volatile virtualization, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their enterprise structures alongside repositioning strategy and establish new information system (IS) architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This chapter shows how ERP engage-abilities cater to three distinctive EM patterns and resultant strategies. The purpose is to examine the presumptions and importance of combing ERP and inter-firm relations relying on the virtual value chain concept. From a review of the literature on ERP development and enterprise strategy, exploratory inductive research studies in Zoomlion and Lanye have been conducted. In addition, the authors propose a dynamic conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption and governance of ERP in the three enterprise management forms and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm.

A framework for enabling dynamic e-business strategies via new enterprise paradigms and ERP solutions

In the global Internet economy, e-business as a driving force to redefine business models and operational processes is posing new challenges for traditional organizational structures and information system (IS) architectures. These are showing promises of a renewed period of innovative thinking in e-business strategies with new enterprise paradigms and different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In this chapter, the authors consider and investigate how dynamic e-business strategies, as the next evolutionary generation of e-business, can be realized through newly diverse enterprise structures supported by ERP, ERPII and so-called "ERPIII" solutions relying on the virtual value chain concept. Exploratory inductive multi-case studies in manufacturing and printing industries have been conducted. Additionally, it proposes a conceptual framework to discuss the adoption and governance of ERP systems within the context of three enterprise forms for enabling dynamic and collaborative e-business strategies, and particularly demonstrate how an enterprise can dynamically migrate from its current position to the patterns it desires to occupy in the future - a migration that must and will include dynamic e-business as a core competency, but that also relies heavily on ERP-based backbone and other robust technological platform and applications.

Do manufacturing firms need informality in ERP post-implementation? A study of Chinese manufacturing sites

Purpose - Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are limited due to their operation around a fixed design production process and a fixed lead time to production plan and purchasing plan. The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of informality and to describe the notion of a system combining informality and ERP systems, based on empirical research from four manufacturing case studies. Design/methodology/approach - The case studies present a range of applications of ERP and are analysed in terms of the three characteristics of informality, namely, organisation structure, communication method and leadership approach. Findings - The findings suggest that systems consisting of informality in combination with ERP systems can elicit knowledge fromfrontlineworkers leading to timely improvements in the system. This is achieved by allowing users to modify work procedures or production orders, and to support collaborative working among all employees. However it was found that informality is not required for manufacturers with a relatively stable environment who can deal with uncertainty with a proactive strategy. Research limitations/implications - This study was carried out in China, with four companies as unit of analysis. Future work can help to extend this study across countries. Originality/value - The use of Four dimensions of informality that relate to manufacturers implementing ERP are defined as "technology in practice", "user flexibility", "trusted human networks" and "positive reaction to uncertainty". This is a new construct not applied before to ERP implementations.

Integrating ERP and enterprise social software

Purpose: This study explores the use of a hybrid ERP system, combining an ERP system with enterprise social software (ESS). The study will provide a critical assessment of the implementation of this process technology. Design/methodology/approach: Multiple case studies of organisations based in China were conducted to understand the use of ERP systems in different contexts. Following an evaluation of the context of each ERP implementation (within-case analysis) the research draws a cross-case conclusion that defines the nature of a hybrid ERP system and then synthesises the propositions related to the benefits and challenges of implementation. Findings We find that a hybrid ERP system is able to support efficiency in business process management and also provide a flexible response to changes in business requirements. It does this by allowing for the continued use of informal processes that cannot be incorporated into the ERP system. Practical implications: This research indicates how ERP systems in conjunction with ESS can provide a flexible response to changing business requirements and increase collaboration within the organisation. Key lessons include the need to perform informal activities under the guidance of managers and provide clear boundaries for the implementation of informal activities. Originality/Value: This study has found that the use of case studies can provide a valuable insight into the use of a hybrid ERP system from the perspective of its use within the organisation as a work system that requires an assessment of the context within which organisational members perform their work

Enterprise management and ERP development:case study of Zoomlion using dynamic enterprise reference grid

The enterprise management approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to cope with the globalization, virtualization, and volatile competitive environment, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their organizational structures and establish new IS architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This paper reports on ERP engage-abilities within three different enterprise management patterns based on the theoretical foundations of the "Dynamic Enterprise Reference Grid". An exploratory inductive study in Zoomlion using the narrative research approach has been conducted. Also, this research delivers a conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption of ERP in the three enterprise management structures and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Adaptation on the commons

This paper seeks to understand how software systems and organisations co-evolve in practice and how order emerges in the overall environment. Using a metaphor of timetable as a commons, we analyse the introduction of a novel academic scheduling system to demonstrate how Complex Adaptive Systems theory provides insight into the adaptive behaviour of the various actors and how their action is both a response to and a driver of co-evolution within the engagement.

Quidgest internationalization strategic plan to Brazil

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Data queries over heterogeneous sources

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Mikroaaltoradioiden tuotannonsuunnitteluprosessin kehittäminen

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää mikroaaltoradioiden tuotannonsuunnitteluun liittyvät haasteet ja ongelmat Nokia Networksin Espoon tehtaalla. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli esittää ongelmien ratkaisuvaihtoehtoja ja kehitysehdotuksia mikroaaltoradioiden tuotannonsuunnitteluun. Tutkimuksen teoriaosuudessa käsitellään tuotannonohjausta ja -suunnittelua sekä tuotannonsuunnittelussa käytettäviä tietojärjestelmiä, joita ovat toiminnanohjaus-järjestelmät (ERP) ja analysointi- ja suunnittelujärjestelmät (APS). Lisäksi käsitellään tiedon tärkeää merkitystä yrityksen resurssina. Empiirisessä osuudessa käsitellään mikroaaltoradioiden tuotannonsuunnittelua ja siihen liittyviä haasteita. Keskeisimpiä haasteita ovat tuotannonsuunnittelun päivittäiseen raportointiin kuluva aika sekä yhteistyö ja tiedonkulku sidosryhmien välillä. Työn tuloksissa esitettäviä kehitysehdotuksia toteuttamalla voidaan tuotannonsuunnittelusta tehdä entistä täsmällisempää ja samalla parantaa tehtaan toimitusvarmuutta.