Critical success factors for the implementation of enterprise systems: A literature review
Date | 01 May 2018 |
Author | John Loonam,Amit Mitra,Azley Abd Razak,Vikas Kumar |
DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2194 |
Published date | 01 May 2018 |
REVIEW ARTICLE
DOI: 10.1002/jsc.2194
Strategic Change. 2018;27(3):185–194. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jsc © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 185
Abstract
Since their incepon into work organizaons, enterprise systems (ES) have proved challenging
for many organizaons to implement successfully. This study seeks to advance our understand-
ing of the ES success literature by focusing on Harzing Journal ranked arcles only that focus on
the issue of “crical success factors” for ES implementaon. The authors idenfy 34 key crical
success factors that can provide both scholars and praconers with a more holisc view of ES
success.
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INTRODUCTION
This study will conduct a literature review of crical success fac-
tors as deployed for the implementaon of enterprise systems (ES).
There have been many studies over the past two decades that have
contributed to our understanding of the crical success factors for
ES implementaon. These systems oen require signicant organiza-
onal change and consequently aaining successful implementaon
remains challenging. Yet, despite the importance of understanding the
routes to success when implemenng ES, our understanding of the
crical success factors remains anecdotal and case‐based within the
extant literature.
Two key research quesons will be addressed:
1. How important is the concept of “success” within the ES literature?
2. What are the key crical success factors for ES implementaons
as cited within Harzing Quality ranked academic journals?
To address these quesons, this study will explore journal arcles
cited in Harzing’s (Harzing.com) Quality lisng (its most recent edion
is that of February 11, 2014). This arcle contributes to current knowl-
edge as it is the rst study within the crical success factors literature
on ES to focus on a review of a journal quality list. Therefore, the study
seeks to idenfy the most empirically validated and comprehensive
list of crical success factors (Figure 1) in order to support scholars in
future inquiries and provide praconers with a more holisc under-
standing of the crical factors required for ES success.
The authors will rst provide a brief historical tour of ES and their
respecve implementaon into work organizaons. The methodol-
ogy secon will then discuss the approaches deployed to conduct this
study, specically focusing on the crical success factor studies (Bingi,
Sharma, & Godla, 1999; Bradley, 2008, Koh, Lenny, & Goodman, 2011;
Mitra & Neale, 2014; Yeh & Xu, 2013). In total, 31 crical success fac-
tors are idened from the literature. The ndings will then rank the
most cited crical success factors and for illustrave purposes discuss
the top ten success factors from Journals within the Harzing Quality list.
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EXPLORING ES SUCCESS
The introducon of informaon systems can greatly assist organi-
zaons in aaining greater eecveness and eciency. Informa-
on systems promise to increase raonalizaon, reduce duplicaon,
streamline business processes, integrate disparate systems, oer
greater compeve advantage, increase innovaon, and remove
redundant managerial tasks through disintermediaon. From a brief
historical overview of informaon systems, it becomes clear that
organizaons, and invariably informaon systems, have been looking
to create a more integrated and seamless working environment. In
parcular, ES have been heralded as systems by which such “seam-
less integraon” can be achieved (Shaul & Tauber, 2013). ES are the
internal technological hub of the enterprise allowing data from dif-
ferent business funcons, mainly from nance, human resources,
Crical success factors for the implementaon of enterprise
systems: A literature review*
John Loonam1 | Vikas Kumar2 | Amit Mitra2 | Azley Abd Razak3
1 DCU Business School, Dublin City
University, Dublin, Ireland
2 Faculty of Business and Law, Bristol
Business School, University of the West of
England, United Kingdom
3 Faculty of Business and Society, University
of South Wales, Treforest, United Kingdom
Correspondence
Vikas Kumar, Bristol Business School,
University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Email: Vikas.Kumar@uwe.ac.uk
* JEL classicaon codes: D83, L53, L86
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