ERPs KEY SUCCESS FACTORS: A CASE STUDY INVOLVING A PROBLEMATIC IMPLANTATION IN A MID-SIZE MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISE

Abstract

Although Information Systems' literature contains more ERP success cases, it is not rare to notice unsuccessful ERP deployments that extend over years and consume much more financial and human resources than expected. One of the reasons for that is related to the fact that ERP implementation is a social-technical multifaceted and complex process. The key success factors for ERP deployment comprises varied features such as strategic planning, project management, consulting team performance, user involvement, and top management support. This paper intends to investigate an ERP deployment case that is considered unsuccessful due to the low level of user satisfaction. The ERP's key success factors presented in literature were compared to the characteristics of this actual ERP implementation. The case study was performed in a medium-size aluminium and copper recycling industry located in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area, the capital of Minas Gerais state, in Brazil. The research results provided evidence that the unsuccessful ERP project was partially generated by the insufficient presence of critical success factors suggested in the ERP literature.