Managing IT implementation in virtual enterprises

Konferansebidrag fra Engineering and Technology Management 1996 Vancouver. IEMC 1996The paper presents a framework of factors influencing information technology (IT) implementation in virtual enterprises. The framework is based on previous research on IT implementation, and field studies conducted in virtual enterprises. The aim is to increase the understanding of the implementation process in this organizational context, and the framework is intended as a basis for developing strategies for successful management of this proces

Identifying reasons for ERP system customization in SMEs: a multiple case study

Author's version of an article in the journal: Journal of Enterprise Information Management. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17410391211265142Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible reasons for enterprise resource planning (ERP) system customization in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on distinguishing influential factors of the SME context. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory qualitative research approach was employed, to identify new insights within the SME context. A multiple case study of four SMEs was conducted. Data were collected through 34 qualitative interviews with multiple informants across the four cases. Findings – The paper reports findings from four SMEs where ERP customization has been applied to match organizational needs. First, the level and type of ERP system customization applied by the case organizations were investigated. Then, the reasons for ERP system customization were explored. The analysis identified seven possible reasons leading to ERP system customization, classified according to two phases of the ERP life-cycle (prior to “going-live” and after “going-live”). Reasons specific to the SME context include unique business processes, ownership type, and organizational stage of growth. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on four cases only. Further research is needed to investigate the applicability of the findings in different contexts. Practical implications – The study findings are believed to be valuable for organizations about to implement an ERP system, as well as for ERP vendors. By identifying the reasons leading to ERP system customization and investigating the effect of the SME context, the study contributes to a better understanding of ERP system implementation in SMEs. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the scarce literature on reasons for ERP system customization in SMEs. By classifying the reasons into two phases of the ERP life-cycle, the study also contributes by exploring ERP system customization practice in different phases of the ERP life-cycle

The wheel of collaboration tools: a typology for analysis within a holistic framework

Paper from the 2006 20th anniversary conference on Computer supported cooperative workWe present a holistic framework for analyzing and specifying collaboration solutions, developed by an oil and gas company in response to practical needs in supporting integrated collaboration and information management. A typology of collaboration tool capabilities, termed the Wheel of Collaboration Tools (WCT), is described. We assess its contributions, and discuss areas of application and potential further development. Our intent is to stimulate discussion and research related to this type of collaboration modeling

Experiences from global e-collaboration: Contextual influences on technology adoption and use

The article presents a cross-case comparison of experiences from organizational adoption and use of e-collaboration technologies in two large global companies. Challenges in the global implementation process were found to increase with the organizational and geographical scope of the implementation, level of autonomy in the adoption process, cultural diversity, technological heterogeneity, and level of work process support embedded in the system. Alignment with existing collaborative work practices resulted in faster adoption of the technological solution. Highly competitive conditions restricted the resources available for training and experience transfer between projects. Clients’ preferences for co-located project operations served as a potential barrier to the very concept of global e-collaboration. The study increases our understanding of the adoption and use of permanent e-collaboration infrastructures at the organizational level, thus expanding the focus of global e-collaboration research beyond the level of ad hoc, virtual teams

Process and technology challenges in swift-starting virtual teams

Virtual teams often face tight schedules and a need to start quickly and perform instantly. The goal of our study was to enhance understanding of the challenges faced by such teams. We used time–interaction–performance theory as the framework for following the processes and functions within virtual teams working on a systems development task. Our study provided a detailed examination of the group process, applied to virtual teams working under time pressure. The challenges faced by virtual teams in such settings showed that teams must work to enhance their effectiveness in multiple dimensions

Enterprise content management: An integrated perspective on information management

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is an emerging concept involving numerous software vendors, consultants, and information management practitioners around increasing market potential. However, there exist yet few academic reports on ECM from the viewpoint of organizational system implementations. This article analyses 58, mainly practitioner-oriented, case narratives of ECM projects and implementations to identify a framework of major issues that require managerial attention in organizations. The main areas covered by the framework are: objectives/impacts sought with ECM, enterprise model to be supported by ECM, content model, technological infrastructure, administrative resources and practices, and change management issues. The issues identified in this framework serve information management practitioners to facilitate ECM development from the viewpoint of the enterprise. Comparing the concept of ECM with related research on information resource management, electronic document management, and knowledge management, we argue that ECM represents a modern, integrated perspective on information management

Value creation in mobile tourism services : evaluating the value creation concerns of the Norwegian MOVE project

The report presents the results of the evaluation activity specified as part of the MOVE project, a three year innovation project funded by the Research Council of Norway and seven industry and university partners. The aim of this project has been to establish a location-based electronic marketplace, offering mobile tourism services. Several pilot services including a map-based interface providing tourist guide functionality to the mobile handset, a web based tool for service providers’ registration of points of interest (POI), and two “infotainment” services (picture puzzle and riddle) has been developed. The Lofoten area was chosen as the target region for development and trial of these services. The focus of this evaluation report has been on the value creation concerns in the project, related to the customer and the service providers, and the innovation project organization. Based on analysis of project documentation and qualitative interviews with selected service providers, the report summarizes experiences concerning value creation from the pilot services developed in the project. The evaluation is based on the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) framework, focusing on the relationship between structural conditions, business model options, and intrinsic and extrinsic value drivers. The evaluation reveals that a range of valuable results has been produced by the MOVE project. This includes a comprehensive survey of tourists in the Lofoten region in 2004, identifying motives for tourist behaviour and providing valuable input to the design, development and marketing of mobile tourism services. It also includes a field trial of pilot services identifying attributes valued by mobile tourist services users. In addition, twelve master theses discussing important service concepts relevant both to customer and service provider value, and presenting scenarios contributing to understanding the variation in value drivers related to different types of mobile tourist services have been published. Interviews with service providers illustrated the two-sidedness of the mobile marketplace. Due to resource constraints, end user services have been focused stronger than value creation for tourist service providers in the project. Evaluation of the innovation project organization shows how the challenges involved in balancing simultaneous attention to supply side and customer values may imply a need for an open innovation model. Overall, the project has developed considerable knowledge that serves as a solid foundation for continued research on the development of tourism services for value creation in a two-sided mobile marketplace

The significance of member validation in qualitative analysis: experiences from a longitudinal case study

This article explores the concept of member validation and its potential role in the process of constructing case descriptions and interpretations in qualitative research. Although generally approved as a required step in qualitative inquiry, the format, conduct, and purpose of this vary significantly according to different research perspectives. The paper discusses methodological and validity aspects of member validation, and illustrates these issues with experiences from member validation in a longitudinal, interpretive case study in an airline company. A definition of analytical abstraction as including three steps, referred to in the methodology literature as the "ladder of abstraction", is used as the basis for analyzing and discussing the nature of member validation in different stages of the case construction process. The paper provides two propositions: First, member validation may increase the validity of case studies, provided it is used systematically. The “ladder of abstraction” framework proved useful for conceptualizing this approach. Second, member validation plays distinctly different roles in constructing the case on the different levels of abstraction

Virtual PhD courses – A new mode of PhD education?

This paper presents experiences from a joint virtual PhD course for doctoral students at a Norwegian and a US university. Based on an experiential learning approach, the course focused on practices for virtual research collaboration. Through six synchronous online sessions, interspersed with interaction in sub-teams, the participants worked on developing a joint conference publication. This gave the PhD students first-hand experience with working in a virtual research team. Based on our analysis of the experiences from the course, we discuss challenges of the virtual course setting and present guidelines for the design and conduct of similar virtual courses. Our results indicate that the virtual mode of learning could well be included in PhD education, thus enabling interaction between students and instructors in different programs and institutions that otherwise would be difficult. As for any form of virtual work, this requires careful coordination, clarification of leadership roles, and technology and process support for effective interaction and co-production