Benchmarking performance management systems

The Balanced Scorecard and associated performance management approaches, has become a widely practiced and popular management reporting method in recent times. Moreover, enabling technology, which assists in the delivery and personalisation of corporate performance information, is having a deeper and more rapid impact than ever before. This paper presents a brief comparative benchmarking study of leading enterprise performance management systems. Also, the author discusses the merits of bespoke internet technology development and out-of-the-box portal functionalities. An analysis of key business drivers and implementation risks of such approaches is highlighted via a case study example, and concludes the paper

An Empirical Study of Operational Performance Parity Following Enterprise System Deployment

This paper presents an empirical investigation into whether the implementation of packaged Enterprise Systems (ES) leads to parity in operational performance. Performance change and parity in operational performance are investigated in three geographically defined operating regions of a single firm. Order lead time, the elapsed time between receipt of an order and shipment to a customer, is used as a measure of operational performance. A single ES installation was deployed across all regions of the subject firm\u27s operations.Findings illustrate parity as an immediate consequence of ES deployment. However, differences in rates of performance improvement following deployment eventually result in significant (albeit smaller than pre-deployment) performance differences. An additional consequence of deployment seems to be an increased synchronization of performance across the formerly independent regions

Mediation models: A focus on the Effect of Customer Satisfaction on the relationship between Ethicaltreatment towards Farmers and Enterprise Performance in Mumias sugar belt, Kenya

In the simplest mediation theory, the investigation of mediation specifies a chain of relations by which an antecedent variable affects a mediating variable, which in turn affects a dependent variable. Mediating variables can be behavioral, biological, psychological, or social constructs that transmit the effect of one variable to another variable. There are two overlapping applications of mediation theory. One major application of mediating variables is after an effect is observed and researchers investigate how this effect occurred. In this framework, a third variable is inserted into the analysis of an X~ Y relation to improve the understanding of the relation, that is, to determine whether the relation isdue to a mediator or is spurious. To demonstrate this astudy was conducted in Mumias Sugar Belt among cane haulage SMEs and their customers. The purpose of the study was to establish the mediating effect of consumers satisfaction on the relationship between ethical treatment towards farmers and enterprise performance. The study was guided by the stakeholder theory and a conceptualmodel of the same theory. Correlational survey design was adopted for the study. The study population was made up of 75,000 sugar cane farmers.  A sample size of 382 based on 90% response rate was used guided by coefficient of determination formula. Cluster and simple random sampling techniques were used to select farmers with counties being the basis of cluster before applying random techniques. Questionnaires were used to obtain data from farmers. Frequencies were used to show distribution of responses. Correlations were used to assess associations between ethical treatment towards farmers and enterprise performance. Kenny and Barron 4 step mediation models were used to assess the mediating effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between ethical business practices and enterprise performance. Pearson correlations established that farmers trust in drivers was negatively correlated to enterprise reputation and goodwill to the company. Similarly, Pearson correlations revealed that cane theft in transit had negative correlations with enterprise goodwill and customer loyalty. Logistic Regression indicated that cane theft in transit negatively affected customer loyalty. Pearson correlations revealed negative correlations between willingness to listen to farmers and employee dressing code. On the other hand, cane theft in transit negatively affected willingness to listen. Logistic regression revealed that willingness to listen to farmers partially mediated the relationship between cane theft in transit and customer loyalty by 9.62%. These findings are expected to enable cane transport owner managers increase enterprise profitability. Sugar cane sector policy makers are expected to use the findings to address the dwindling fortunes of the sugar sector in Kenya. KEY WORDS: Mediation model, Consumer Satisfaction, Ethical treatment enterprise performance. DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/60-05 Publication date:September 30th 201

ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks: a literature review

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation is a complex and vibrant process, one that involves a combination of technological and organizational interactions. Often an ERP implementation project is the single largest IT project that an organization has ever launched and requires a mutual fit of system and organization. Also the concept of an ERP implementation supporting business processes across many different departments is not a generic, rigid and uniform concept and depends on variety of factors. As a result, the issues addressing the ERP implementation process have been one of the major concerns in industry. Therefore ERP implementation receives attention from practitioners and scholars and both, business as well as academic literature is abundant and not always very conclusive or coherent. However, research on ERP systems so far has been mainly focused on diffusion, use and impact issues. Less attention has been given to the methods used during the configuration and the implementation of ERP systems, even though they are commonly used in practice, they still remain largely unexplored and undocumented in Information Systems research. So, the academic relevance of this research is the contribution to the existing body of scientific knowledge. An annotated brief literature review is done in order to evaluate the current state of the existing academic literature. The purpose is to present a systematic overview of relevant ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks as a desire for achieving a better taxonomy of ERP implementation methodologies. This paper is useful to researchers who are interested in ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Results will serve as an input for a classification of the existing ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Also, this paper aims also at the professional ERP community involved in the process of ERP implementation by promoting a better understanding of ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks, its variety and history

Applications of lean thinking: a briefing document

This report has been put together by the Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) at the University of Salford for the Department of Health. The need for the report grew out of two main simple questions, o Is Lean applicable in sectors other than manufacturing? o Can the service delivery sector learn from the success of lean in manufacturing and realise the benefits of its implementation?The aim of the report is to list together examples of lean thinking as it is evidenced in the public and private service sector. Following a review of various sources a catalogue of evidence is put together in an organised manner which demonstrates that Lean principles and techniques, when applied rigorously and throughout an entire organization/unit, they can have a positive impact on productivity, cost, quality, and timely delivery of services

SMEs: ERP or virtual collaboration teams

Small firms are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role to promote economic development. SMEs in the beginning of implementing new technologies always face capital shortage and need technological assistance. Available ERP systems do not fulfil the specific requirements of Small firms. SMEs has scarce resources and manpower therefore many SMEs don?t have the possessions to buy and operate an ERP System. On the other hand competition and competitiveness of SMEs have to be strengthened. This paper briefly reviews the existing perspectives on virtual teams and their effect on SMEs management. It also discusses the main characteristics of virtual teams and clarifies the differences aspects of virtual team application in SMEs. After outlining some of the main advantages and pitfall of such teams, it concentrates on comparing of ERP and virtual collaborative teams in SMEs. Finally, it provides evidence for the need of ?Software as a Service (SaaS)? where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the web for SMEs as an alternative of ERP. It has been widely argued that ERP disadvantage in SMEs such as administrative expenditure and cost, isolated structure, severe lack of software flexibility, insufficient support of SMEs business and high operating cost, lead SMEs to use virtual collaborative team which is net work base solution