Networks of Pain in ERP Development

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been providing business benefits through integrated business functions for two decades, but system implementation is still painful for organizations. Even though ERP projects are collaborative efforts conducted by many separate organizations, academic research has not fully investigated ERPs from this perspective. In order to find out the challenges of ERP development networks (EDN), a multiple case study was carried out. We identified three main categories of pain: evolving network, inter-organizational issues, and conflicting objectives. The dynamic nature of the EDN causes challenges when new organizations and individuals enter and leave the project. Relationships between organizations form the base for collaboration, yet conflicting objectives may hinder the development. The main implication of this study is that the network should be managed as a whole in order to avoid the identified pitfalls. Still more research is needed to understand how the EDN efficiently interacts to solve different problems in ERP development.