Computers in Industry 56 (2005) 529–544 www.elsevier.com/locate/compind

Critical factors for successful ERP implementation: Exploratory findings from four case studies
Jaideep Motwani a,*, Ram Subramanian a, Pradeep Gopalakrishna b
Seidman School of Business, Grand Valley State University, Department of Management, 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA b Department of Marketing and International Business, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York, NY 10038, USA Received 29 March 2004; received in revised form 14 December 2004; accepted 13 February 2005 Available online 21 July 2005 a Abstract As more and more organizations move from functional to process-based IT infrastructure, ERP systems are becoming one of today’s most widespread IT solutions. However, not all firms have been successful in their ERP implementations. Using a case study methodology grounded in business process change theory, this research tries to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of ERP projects. The results from our comparative case study of 4 firms that implemented an ERP system suggest that a cautious, evolutionary, bureaucratic implementation process backed with careful change management, network relationships, and cultural readiness have a positive impact on several ERP implementations. Understanding such effects will enable managers to be more proactive and better prepared for ERP implementation. Managerial implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Case studies; Critical factors; ERP; Implementation

1. Introduction The myriad challenges faced today by global businesses are expected to grow in intensity and complexity as we go further into this century. Expanded global competition has become the norm rather than the exception, with an unprecedented number and variety of products available to satisfy consumer needs
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