Ariel - Volume 3 Number 7

Editors Richard J. Bonanno Robin A. Edwards Associate Editors Steven Ager Tom Williams Lay-out Editor Eugenia Miller Contributing Editors Paul Bialas Robert Breckenridge David Jacoby Mike LeWitt Terry Burt Michael Leo Editors Emeritus Delvyn C. Case, Jr. Paul M. Fernhof

Enterprise resource planning systems implementation and upgrade (a Kenyan study)

In recent years there has been an increase in using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in large companies and government corporations mainly in developed countries. While there is wide adoption of ERP systems in Western economies, developing countries lag far behind. However, due to recent economic growth, developing countries such as Kenya are increasingly becoming major targets of ERP vendors. There is an urgent need for under- standing ERP implementation issues in developing countries, as ERP systems are still in their early stages in these countries. They face additional challenges related to economic, cultural and basic infrastructure issues. This research investigates the organisational and national context within which ERP is adopted and used in Kenya, and how the context and ERP influence each other. In general, this research is based on the need to study organisations in their societal contexts and information systems in their organisational settings. The research contributes to the controversial debate on the conflict between standardisation imposed by ERP systems and localisation of business practices. This study provides some key insights into the implementation and use of ERP systems in the public and the private sectors in Kenya. Case study findings suggest that the company sector plays an important role in ERP implementations in several key dimensions. ERP systems with in-built business practices express the tendency toward standardisation. In addition, the study investigates the challenges faced by organisations implementing ERP systems in Kenya and factors influencing ERP upgrade decisions. Findings of this research suggest that ERP implementation and upgrade is influenced by, but not necessarily bound by, existing contextual factors - national and organisational. Two models, namely, the Empirical ERP Implementation Model (EEIM) and the Upgrade Decision Model (UDM), are developed to represent ERP implementation and upgrade practices. The EEIM helps to identify why there will be particularly high variance in potential outcomes and further validates which organisational contexts and ERP implementation configurations create options during ERP implementation and usage. The UDM makes a novel contribution by showing how different forces interact to bring an aggregate of influences to a threshold level where an ERP system upgrade becomes necessary. The findings of this study also aid the management of organisations that are implementing ERP systems to gain a better understanding of the likely challenges they may face and to enable them to put in place appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of implementation failures. This study also proposes an IT strategy framework which can be used by organisations planning to implement ERP to align their business and IT strategy. Finally, the study provides practical guidelines to practitioners on ERP implementation and upgrade based on the experience of the case study organisations and the ERP consultants interviewed

A managers view of critical success factors necessary for the successful implementation of ERP

Organisations look to enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a significant strategic tool of competition. ERP plays an important role in today's enterprise management and is beginning to be the backbone of organisations. Although ERP has been recognised as a useful tool, in practice, there are many difficulties in compelling people to implement it effectively. In this case, how to help ERP's future effective implementation has already attracted the attention of several researchers. The goal of this research was to increase the knowledge base regarding Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software implementation in the public sector. To this end, factors regarding benefits sought through ERP system implementation and critical factors surrounding successful ERP implementation were identified. In addition, the perception of project team members' satisfaction with modules implemented and their concerns about implementing ERP software were identified in this study. The results of this study provided recommendations for public sector organisations in order to increase their opportunity for successful ERP system implementation. However, there is no reason why this information cannot be considered to be useful to private sector organisations when considering ERP implementation projects. The literature review and results of this study suggested that the benefits sought during ERP system implementation included increased standardisation, better reporting, and reduced operational costs were recognised as goals of ERP software implementation, with the overarching goal to improve efficiency. Factors that were important to successful ERP system implementations were top management support, knowledgeable and experienced project managers and knowledgeable and committed team members. The study included recommendations for organisations to fully research ERP functionality prior to implementation, to implement strong change management, use other means of measuring return on investment, ensure employee buy-in and top management involvement and to avoid scope creep at all cost. In addition, a key element is to undertake some form of benchmarking exercise of existing systems prior to commencement as a measure of success of implementation of all or various elements of ERP

Modeling lean six sigma in the small packaging industry in India

This thesis is a result of my interest in implementing Lean Six Sigma into Indian packaging companies because the Indian industry is growing at 18-20% annually (Samal, 2010). This growth rate is expected to triple in the next five years. With USA outsourcing to foreign nations this substantial growth, as I envision the USA companies who are seeking India packaging materials will benefit from my original approach for converting the Indian packaging industry using Lean Six Sigma. I have a strong personal and professional desire to improve the manufacturing within India. It is the country in which I grew up and where my family currently lives and works. The main objective of this research is to accomplish several major tasks: 1) Introduce a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt DMAIC methodology to an India packaging company and 2) Show how a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt would implement the DMAIC approach in a small Indian packaging company that plans to do business within the USA boundaries and 3) Utilize this packaging company as a model for other India packaging companies to follow if their plans are to sell quality packaging materials to the USA companies

Developing and Implementing Self-Direction Programs and Policies: A Handbook

Provides a guide to designing, implementing, and evaluating service delivery models that allow public program participants to manage their own care services and supports. Outlines elements of employer and budget authorities, enrollment, and counseling

Handbook of process-based accounting : leveraging processes to predict results

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1586/thumbnail.jp

Externalities and Enterprise Software: Helping and Hindering Legal Compliance

Enterprise software helps organizations comply with laws and regulations, yet software itself creates negative externalities that can undermine rights and laws. Software developers are an important regulatory force, yet many know little about how law and software interact. This work examines developer understanding of legal concepts and examples of the software code and law relationship: payroll, Sarbanes Oxley Act, web accessibility, and data protection

Accounting Information Systems [1st Australasian edition]

At last – the Australasian edition of Romney and Steinbart's respected AIS text! Accounting Information Systems first Australasian edition offers the most comprehensive and student-friendly coverage of Accounting Information Systems in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Accounting Information Systems has been extensively revised and updated to incorporate local laws, standards and business practices. The text has a new and flexible structure developed especially for Australasian AIS courses, while also retaining the features that make the US edition easy to use. Important concepts such as systems cycles, controls, auditing, fraud and cybercrime, ethics and the REA data model are brought to life by a wide variety of Australasian case studies and examples. With a learning and teaching resource package second to none, this is the perfect resource for one-semester undergraduate and graduate courses in Accounting Information Systems

Adoption of HRIS in the public organizations:Institutional logics perspective

This study explored the adoption, benefits, and challenges of HRIS in a public organization in Pakistan. Using the case study approach, qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews at various levels in a hierarchy. The study found that the organization could not achieve the benefits of HRIS as established in the literature. The adoption of HRIS remained quite slow and resulted in parallel systems (manual and automated) in the organization. In light of the institutional logics perspective, the organization is struggling with contradictory pressures from the new logic of HRIS and the previous logic of manual HR system, which is costly for the organization. Out of various barriers identified, in the adoption of HRIS, the most crucial are lack of top management support and less technical knowledge to use the new system. The findings implied that mere adoption of HRIS could not produce the desired results until serious efforts were made for its successful implementation