Enterprise System Flexibility and Implementation Strategies: Aligning Theory with Evidence from a Case Study

Authors:
Judith Gebauer;Fei Lee
Affiliations:
College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA;College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
Venue:
Information Systems Management
Year:
2008

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Abstract

Flexibility can have important consequences for the operational efficiency and long-term effectiveness of an enterprise system, yet is often not considered explicitly as a decision factor during system design and implementation. In this article, we join managerial advice for implementation strategies with insights from a theory that determines the flexibility requirements of an enterprise system in relation with characteristics of the business process that the system is intended to support. We align our theoretical considerations with practical evidence from the case of an electronic procurement system that was implemented at a Fortune 100 firm. Based on our findings, we present a roadmap that can guide flexibility and implementation strategies based on both project and process characteristics.