Managing change in ERP implementation projects : A case study in an SME context

Abstract

Organizations that implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems face extensive changes in their structures, core processes, and roles. These changes needto be managed for ERP implementations to succeed, making change management very important.Literature detail critical success factors (CSFs) for change management, but these receive varying relative importance depending on factorssuch as the size and the context of the implementing organization. Much of the research on change management in ERP implementations focus on large enterprises, and oftenlack empiricalinsight into whychange management is challenging. Kristiansand Skruefabrikkog Mek verksted (KSMV), anSME focusing onindustrial production locatedin Søgne, Norway, implemented the ERP system RamBase in the spring of 2020.In this thesis,KSMV’s ERP implementation is examined by asking the research questions1)How do SMEs manage change during ERP implementations?and2)Why is change management challenging to tackle during ERP implementations in SMEs?This study uses a qualitative approach with an explanatorycase study guided by the interpretive paradigm. It consists of empirical data, collected through14 semi-structured interviews and 304 hours of observation,in addition to gathered documents. Using Nvivo, CSFsforchange management identified from the literaturewereadopted as a framework for provisional codingin order to achieve an in-depthanalysis and interpretation of the data’s meanings.