IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ecl/illbus/07-0113.html

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

Author

Listed:
  • Gebauer, Judith

    (U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

  • Lee, Fei

    (U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Gebauer, Judith & Lee, Fei, 2007. "Enterprise System Flexibility and Implementation Strategies-Aligning Theory with Evidence from a Case Study," Working Papers 07-0113, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:illbus:07-0113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.business.illinois.edu/Working_Papers/papers/07-0113.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. C. Ranganathan & Carol V. Brown, 2006. "ERP Investments and the Market Value of Firms: Toward an Understanding of Influential ERP Project Variables," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 17(2), pages 145-161, June.
    2. Robert G. Fichman, 2004. "Real Options and IT Platform Adoption: Implications for Theory and Practice," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 132-154, June.
    3. David M. Upton, 1997. "Process Range in Manufacturing: An Empirical Study of Flexibility," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(8), pages 1079-1092, August.
    4. Donald Gerwin, 1993. "Manufacturing Flexibility: A Strategic Perspective," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(4), pages 395-410, April.
    5. De Leeuw, A. C. J. & Volberda, H. W., 1996. "On the concept of flexibility: A dual control perspective," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 121-139, April.
    6. Homa Bahrami & Stuart Evans, 2005. "Super-Flexibility for Knowledge Enterprises," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-540-26731-7, May.
    7. George Stigler, 1939. "Production and Distribution in the Short Run," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(3), pages 305-305.
    8. J. Stuart Evans, 1991. "Strategic Flexibility For High Technology Manoeuvres: A Conceptual Framework," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 69-89, January.
    9. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-654, May-June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Schober, Franz & Gebauer, Judith, 2008. "How Much to Spend on Flexibility? Determining the Value of Information System Flexibility," Working Papers 08-0105, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    2. Erin T. Ryan & David R. Jacques & John M. Colombi, 2013. "An ontological framework for clarifying flexibility‐related terminology via literature survey," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 99-110, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Golden, William & Powell, Philip, 2000. "Towards a definition of flexibility: in search of the Holy Grail?," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 373-384, August.
    2. Feng Xu & Xin (Robert) Luo & Hongyun Zhang & Shan Liu & Wei (Wayne) Huang, 2019. "Do Strategy and Timing in IT Security Investments Matter? An Empirical Investigation of the Alignment Effect," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1069-1083, October.
    3. Christiana Müller & Stefan Vorbach, 2015. "Enabling Business Model Change: Evidence from High-Technology Firms," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 11(1), pages 53-75.
    4. Yang, L. & Ng, C.T. & Cheng, T.C.E., 2011. "Optimal production strategy under demand fluctuations: Technology versus capacity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 214(2), pages 393-402, October.
    5. Astrid Jung, 2001. "Are Product Innovation and Flexible Technology Complements?," CIG Working Papers FS IV 01-07, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Research Unit: Competition and Innovation (CIG), revised Feb 2003.
    6. Goetz, Andrew R. & Szyliowicz, Joseph S., 1997. "Revisiting transportation planning and decision making theory: The case of Denver International Airport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 263-280, July.
    7. Estera Piwoni-Krzeszowska, 2012. "Managing Relationships Value of Companies with Market Stakeholders – the Perspective of Flexibility in the Relationships," MIC 2012: Managing Transformation with Creativity; Proceedings of the 13th International Conference, Budapest, 22–24 November 2012 [Selected Papers],, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper.
    8. Morgan, Horatio M. & Ngwenyama, Ojelanki, 2015. "Real options, learning cost and timing software upgrades: Towards an integrative model for enterprise software upgrade decision analysis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 211-223.
    9. Pereira, Javier & Paulre, Bernard, 2001. "Flexibility in manufacturing systems: A relational and a dynamic approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(1), pages 70-82, April.
    10. Paul S. Adler & Barbara Goldoftas & David I. Levine, 1999. "Flexibility Versus Efficiency? A Case Study of Model Changeovers in the Toyota Production System," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(1), pages 43-68, February.
    11. Abdul Majid1 & Muhammad Yasir, 2013. "The Role Of Strategic Flexibility In Minimizing Response Uncertainty Of Perceived Risks Facing Manufacturing Smes In Pakistan," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(4.1), pages 207-224, december.
    12. Sanjai Kumar Shukla & Sushil & Manoj Kumar Sharma, 2019. "Managerial Paradox Toward Flexibility: Emergent Views Using Thematic Analysis of Literature," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 20(4), pages 349-370, December.
    13. Pendharkar, Parag C., 2010. "Valuing interdependent multi-stage IT investments: A real options approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 201(3), pages 847-859, March.
    14. Kyungwon Kim & Jae Wook Song, 2018. "Managing Bubbles in the Korean Real Estate Market: A Real Options Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-25, August.
    15. Marcel Boyer & Armel Jacques & Michel Moreaux, 2001. "Bankruptcy Cost, Financial Structure and Technological Flexibility Choices," CIRANO Working Papers 2001s-27, CIRANO.
    16. De Toni, Alberto & Tonchia, Stefano, 2005. "Definitions and linkages between operational and strategic flexibilities," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 525-540, December.
    17. BOYER, Marcel & MOREAUX, Michel, 1995. "Capacity Commitment Versus Flexibility: The Technological Choice Nexus in a Strategic Context," Cahiers de recherche 9556, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques.
    18. Burak R. Uras & Ping Wang, 2017. "Production Flexibility, Misallocation and Total Factor Productivity," NBER Working Papers 23970, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Gal-Or, Esther, 2002. "Flexible manufacturing systems and the internal structure of the firm," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(8), pages 1061-1096, October.
    20. Moon, Karen Ka-Leung & Yi, Candace Ying & Ngai, E.W.T., 2012. "An instrument for measuring supply chain flexibility for the textile and clothing companies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 222(2), pages 191-203.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ecl:illbus:07-0113. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cbuiuus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.