Overcoming ERP implementation challenges with communication

Abstract: To stay competitive, organizations look to IT systems such as ERPs to assist them in their business goals. While there are organization-wide benefits available for organizations that successfully implement ERPs, the associated risks are great, and many challenges threaten to harm the process. While there are many success factors for implementation success, this paper focus on the aspect of communication in ERP implementations, specifically that between implementing consultants and the target organization. There is a lack of research on the area of communication in ERP implementations, especially from the viewpoint of the implementing consultants. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the role of communication in ERP implementations, and further build upon the existing body of research. Two main research questions are formulated, aiming to find out if communication is important for ERP implementations and what effective communication is. Secondly, this paper seeks to identify the main challenges as perceived by implementing ERP consultants, and how communication can aid in overcoming these. This paper adopts a qualitative research methodology, with semi-structured interviews held with the respondents. Key findings of this paper are the definition of effective communication as primarily fast, correct, well-timed, open-ended, and tailored to the recipient. Furthermore, communication method and communication content are both important to the quality and effectiveness of communication. Communication is however a challenging task for all stakeholders and demands everyone’s dedication of time and resources. Secondly, the most important challenges identified are setting, managing, and realizing expectations, which can be addressed through clear and thorough communication from the start. Moreover, user acceptance is recognized as a highly challenging aspect of implementations, which can be helped through proper communication and guidance from the implementing consultant to all affected stakeholders, as to ensure dedication. Conflict is another challenge that is commonly viewed as exclusively negative. This paper challenges this idea, arguing that conflict can be fruitful under certain circumstances. When conflict is negative, it often stems from poor communication, and can be solved by effective communication. Also, personal chemistry and unclear project roles are identified challenges for which communication might help. In conclusion, communication has an important role to play in implementations, and can aid in overcoming many frequently encountered challenges.