Critical Factors for Successful Erp Implementation

Critical factors for successful ERP implementation:

Exploratory findings from four case studies

Jaideep Motwani a,*, Ram Subramanian a, Pradeep Gopalakrishna b

a Seidman School of Business, Grand Valley State University, Department of Management,

401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA

b Department of Marketing and International Business, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York, NY 10038, USA

Received 29 March 2004; received in revised form 14 December 2004; accepted 13 February 2005

Available online 21 July 2005

Abstract

As more and more organizations move from functional to process-based IT infrastructure, ERP systems are becoming one of

today’s most widespread IT solutions. However, not all firms have been successful in their ERP implementations. Using a case

study methodology grounded in business process change theory, this research tries to understand the factors that lead to the

success or failure of ERP projects. The results from our comparative case study of 4 firms that implemented an ERP system

suggest that a cautious, evolutionary, bureaucratic implementation process backed with careful change management, network

relationships, and cultural readiness have a positive impact on several ERP implementations. Understanding such effects will

enable managers to be more proactive and better prepared for ERP implementation. Managerial implications of the findings and

future research directions are discussed.

# 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Case studies; Critical factors; ERP; Implementation

1. Introduction

The myriad challenges faced today by global

businesses