Voordijk, H; Van Leuven, A and Laan, A (2003) Enterprise resource planning in a large construction firm: Implementation analysis. Construction Management and Economics, 21(5), pp. 511-521. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
In most large Dutch construction firms, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have replaced non-integrated information systems with integrated and maintainable software. The implementation of ERP systems in such firms is a difficult task. So far, ERP implementations have yielded more failures than successes. This study tries to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of ERP in large construction firms by focusing on the fits between the following pairs of elements in ERP implementations: business and IT strategy, maturity of the IT infrastructure and the strategic role of IT, and the implementation method and organizational change. The premise of this study is that for an ERP implementation to be successful these elements must somehow fit together. Empirical research was conducted through a case study of three ERP implementations in different business units of a Dutch-based construction firm. Implementing different systems within one company is typical of the way large construction firms in the Netherlands have dealt with ERP. The study shows that the success of ERP implementations depends on consistent patterns between: IT strategy and business strategy, IT maturity and the strategic role of IT, and the implementation method and organizational change.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; enterprise resource planning; information technology |
| Index terms: | business strategy, strategy, Netherlands, implementation, information technology, enterprise resource planning, information system, organizational change, case study, construction firm |
| Subjects: | computer science, information systems, data collection methods, business, Geography, management, contractual arrangements, organization, computing systems |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Geographical Context, Procurement, Business Strategy, Information Management, Research Practice, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here