EXPLORING ERP SYSTEM OUTCOMES IN SMEs: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system outcomes in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Most of the former research on ERP outcomes is based on data from large enterprises, and this study examines how the SME context affects the ERP system outcomes and the related evaluation practices. The paper reports findings from a multiple case study of ERP implementation in four SMEs. The case companies put more emphasis on system and information quality improvements from the ERP systems, compared to individual and organizational outcomes. This can be related to the lack of a strategic perspective on ERP implementation in these companies, with replacement of the legacy systems serving as the main motivation for the implementation projects. Moreover, the findings indicate that the identified lack of ERP system evaluation practice in these SMEs can be explained by ownership type, resource constraints, limited IT competence, and status of the IT legacy systems in SMEs