Abstract: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an integrated system that helps companies in managing their resources. There are two types of ERP systems, the traditional ERP systems, and the cloud ERP systems. Cloud ERP systems were introduced after the development of cloud computing technology. This research aims to identify the factors that affect the adoption of cloud ERP in Egyptian companies. Moreover, the aim of our study is to provide guidance to Egyptian companies in the cloud ERP adoption decision and to participate in increasing the number of the cloud ERP studies that are conducted in the Middle East and in developing countries. There are many factors influencing the adoption of cloud ERP in Egyptian organizations which are discussed and explained in the research. Those factors are examined through combining the Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI) and technology-organization-environment framework (TOE). Data were collected through a survey that was developed using constructs from the existing studies of cloud computing and cloud ERP technologies and was then modified to fit our research. The analysis of the data was based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS software that was used for the empirical analysis of the research model.
Abstract: Business education has been criticized for being too theoretical and distant from business life. Different types of experiential learning environments ranging from manual role-play to computer simulations and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been used to introduce the realistic and practical experience into business learning. Each of these learning environments approaches business learning from a different perspective. The implementations tend to be individual exercises supplementing the traditional courses. We suggest combining them into a business skills laboratory resembling an actual workplace. In this paper, we present a concrete implementation of an ERP-supported business learning environment that is used throughout the first year undergraduate business curriculum. We validate the implementation by evaluating the learning outcomes through the different domains of Bloom’s taxonomy. We use the role-play oriented practice enterprise model as a comparison group. Our findings indicate that using the ERP simulation improves the poor and average students’ lower-level cognitive learning. On the affective domain, the ERP-simulation appears to enhance motivation to learn as well as perceived acquisition of practical hands-on skills.
Abstract: The critical key success factors, which have to be targeted with appropriate change management, are the user acceptance and support of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system at the early implementation stages. This becomes even more important in Arab context where national and organisational culture with a different value and belief system, resulting in different management styles, might not complement with Western business culture embedded in the predefined standard business processes of existing ERP packages. This study explains and critically evaluates research into national and organizational culture and the influence of different national cultures on the implementation and reengineering process of ERP packages in an Arab context. Using a case study, realized through a quantitative survey testing five of Martinsons’s and Davison’s propositions in a Libyan sample company, confirmed the expected results from the literature review that culture has an impact on the implementation process and that employee empowerment is an unavoidable consequence of an ERP implementation.
Abstract: Advances in information technology, recent changes in business environment, globalization, deregulation, privatization have made running a successful business more difficult than ever before. To remain successful and to be competitive have forced companies to react to the new changes in order to survive and succeed. The implementation of an Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) system improves information flow, reduce costs, establish linkage with suppliers and reduce response time to customer needs. This paper focuses on a sample of Greek companies, investigates the ERP market in Greece, the reasons why the Greek companies are investing in ERP systems, the benefits that users have achieved and the influence of ERP systems on the use of new accounting practices. The results indicate a greater level on information integration, flexibility in information access and greater functionality provided by ERP systems but little influence on the use of new accounting practices.
Abstract: One of the most important aspects expected from an
ERP system is to mange user\administrator manual documents
dynamically. Since an ERP package is frequently changed during its
implementation in customer sites, it is often needed to add new
documents and/or apply required changes to existing documents in
order to cover new or changed capabilities. The worse is that since
these changes occur continuously, the corresponding documents
should be updated dynamically; otherwise, implementing the ERP
package in the organization encounters serious risks. In this paper, we
propose a new architecture which is based on the agent oriented
vision and supplies the dynamic document generation expected from
ERP systems using several independent but cooperative agents.
Beside the dynamic document generation which is the main issue of
this paper, the presented architecture will address some aspects of
intelligence and learning capabilities existing in ERP.
Abstract: ERP systems are often supposed to be implemented
and deployed in multi-national companies. On the other hand, an
ERP developer may plan to market and sale its product in various
countries. Therefore, an EPR system should have the ability to
communicate with its users, who usually have different languages
and cultures, in a suitable way. EPR support of Multilanguage
capability is a solution to achieve this objective. In this paper, an
agent oriented architecture including several independent but
cooperative agents has been suggested that helps to implement
Multilanguage EPR systems.
Abstract: It well recognized that one feature that makes a
successful company is its ability to successfully align its business goals with its information communication technologies platform.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems contribute to achieve better performance by integrating various business functions and
providing support for information flows. However, the technological
systems complexity is known to prevent the business users to exploit in an efficient way the Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP).
This paper aims to investigate the role of training in improving the
usage of ERP systems. To this end, we have designed an instrument
survey to employees of a Norwegian multinational global provider of
technology solutions. Based on the analysis of collected data, we have delineated a training model that could be high relevance for
both researchers and practitioners as a step towards a better
understanding of ERP system implementation.
Abstract: Enterprise Wide Information Systems (EWIS)
implementation involves the entire business and will require changes
throughout the firm. Because of the scope, complexity and
continuous nature of ERP, the project-based approach to managing
the implementation process resulted in failure rates of between 60%
and 80%. In recent years ERP systems have received much attention.
The organizational relevance and risk of ERP projects make it
important for organizations to focus on ways to make ERP
implementation successful. Once these systems are in place,
however, their performance depends on the identified macro
variables viz. 'Business Process', 'Decision Making' and 'Individual
/ Group working'. The questionnaire was designed and administered.
The responses from 92 organizations were compiled. The
relationship of these variables with EWIS performance is analyzed
using inferential statistical measurements. The study helps to
understand the performance of model presented. The study suggested
in keeping away from the calamities and thereby giving the
necessary competitive edge. Whenever some discrepancy is
identified during the process of performance appraisal care has to be
taken to draft necessary preventive measures. If all these measures
are taken care off then the EWIS performance will definitely deliver
the results.
Abstract: A number of studies highlighted problems related to
ERP systems, yet, most of these studies focus on the problems during
the project and implementation stages but not during the postimplementation
use process. Problems encountered in the process of
using ERP would hinder the effective exploitation and the extended
and continued use of ERP systems and their value to organisations.
This paper investigates the different types of problems users
(operational, supervisory and managerial) faced in using ERP and
how 'feral system' is used as the coping mechanism. The paper
adopts a qualitative method and uses data collected from two cases
and 26 interviews, to inductively develop a casual network model of
ERP usage problem and its coping mechanism. This model classified
post ERP usage problems as data quality, system quality, interface
and infrastructure. The model is also categorised the different coping
mechanism through use of 'feral system' inclusive of feral
information system, feral data and feral use of technology.
Abstract: ERP systems are the largest software applications adopted by universities, along with quite significant investments in their implementation. However, unlike other applications little research has been conducted regarding these systems in a university environment. This paper aims at providing a critical review of previous research in ERP system in higher education with a special focus on higher education in Australia. The research not only forms the basis of an evaluation of previous research and research needs, it also makes inroads in identifying the payoff of ERPs in the sector from different perspectives with particular reference to the user. The paper is divided into two parts, the first part focuses on ERP literature in higher education at large, while the second focuses on ERP literature in higher education in Australia.
Abstract: This paper presents the possibilities of using Weibull statistical distribution in modeling the distribution of defects in ERP systems. There follows a case study, which examines helpdesk records of defects that were reported as the result of one ERP subsystem upgrade. The result of the applied modeling is in modeling the reliability of the ERP system from a user perspective with estimated parameters like expected maximum number of defects in one day or predicted minimum of defects between two upgrades. Applied measurement-based analysis framework is proved to be suitable in predicting future states of the reliability of the observed ERP subsystems.
Abstract: Over the past few years, companies in developing
countries have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP)
systems. Regardless of the various benefits of the ERP system, its
adoption and implementation have not been without problems. Many
companies have assigned considerable organizational resources to
their ERP projects, but have encountered unexpected challenges.
Neglecting a number of important factors in ERP projects might lead
to failure instead of success. User satisfaction is among those factors
that has a major influence on ERP implementation success. So, this
paper intends to investigate the key factors that create ERP users-
satisfaction and to discover whether ERP users- satisfaction varies
among different users- profiles. The study was conducted using a
survey questionnaire which was distributed to ERP users in Iranian
organizations. A total of 384 responses were collected and analyzed.
The findings indicated that younger ERP users tend to be more
satisfied with ERP systems. Furthermore, ERP users with more
experiences in IT and also more educated users have more
satisfaction with ERP softwares. However, the study found no
satisfaction differences between men and women users.
Abstract: One of the most important aspects expected from ERP systems is to integrate various operations existing in administrative, financial, commercial, human resources, and production departments of the consumer organization. Also, it is often needed to integrate the new ERP system with the organization legacy systems when implementing the ERP package in the organization. Without relying on an appropriate software architecture to realize the required integration, ERP implementation processes become error prone and time consuming; in some cases, the ERP implementation may even encounters serious risks. In this paper, we propose a new architecture that is based on the agent oriented vision and supplies the integration expected from ERP systems using several independent but cooperator agents. Besides integration which is the main issue of this paper, the presented architecture will address some aspects of intelligence and learning capabilities existing in ERP systems