ERP systems and training implementation

Business Operations -- ERP and Training Project Outline

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the process of integrating and maintaining multiple and varied information technology (IT) systems within a professional business organization or other complex entity comprising multiple departments, services, or operations. Today, ERP systems are ubiquitous throughout modern organizations but their relative effectiveness varies substantially from organization to organization. Since the ERP systems and related technologies available to all organizations are substantially similar and provide comparable capabilities, the difference in the effectiveness of their deployment and operation must be attributable to other factors. This project is designed to determine the degree to which employee training in the use of ERP systems is responsible for variations in the relative effectiveness of those systems in different organizations.

Literature Review

A preliminary literature review was conducted through a library and Internet search using the following search terms: Personalized training, Change Management, Training and Users Satisfaction, Modes of Training, and Effectiveness of Training. That preliminary search yielded the following research results:

According to Dorobat and Nastase (20__), one of the most critical components of successfully implementing ERP systems is the manner in which employees are trained. More specifically, individualized training is crucial to achieving the optimal outcomes and to maximizing the value of ERP systems within organizations (Dorobat & Nastase, 20__). Meanwhile, Bradley and Lee (2007) determined that while ERP-related training is important to successful implementation, it is employee perception of such training that is most directly determinative of the success of ERP training programs themselves. More particularly, the authors reported that employees value ease of use and the degree of direct assistance and support that ERP-systems provide in connection with their specific responsibilities (Bradley & Lee, 2007). Similarly, Ashford (20__) found that the approach to ERP system training directly determined the relative success or failure of ERP system integration within organizations. Generally, where organizations plan for and provide extensive employee training prior to ERP system implementation, the results are likely to be positive. Conversely, where organizations do not provide comprehensive ERP system training in advance of ERP systems going live, the likelihood of success is much lower (Ashford, 20__).

Objective, Scope, and Methodology

The objective of this project is to identify a comprehensive set of factors linked to the success or failure of ERP system integration within organizations. The scope of this project is a review of data from professional business organizations, offices, and administrative departments of other organizations that have already implemented or attempted to implement contemporary versions of ERP systems in their professional environment. The methodology anticipated will be a combination of a thorough literature review and primary research through surveys and interviews with organizational leaders and employees. The most obvious limitation anticipated is that individuals leading or employed by organizations that have managed to implement ERP systems successfully will be more inclined to participate and to provide data than leaders or employees of organizations that have failed in that effort.