Title: Successfully implementing ERP: the IBM personal systems group experience

Authors: Irma Becerra-Fernandez, Kenneth E. Murphy, Joyce Elam

Addresses: Florida International University, College of Business Administration, University Park, BA 250, Miami, FL 33199, USA. ' Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA. ' Florida International University, College of Business Administration, University Park, BA 310, Miami, FL 33199, USA

Abstract: The Personal Systems Group, a division within IBM, successfully implemented SAP|s R/3 enterprise information system in its largest manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The project, at the time the second largest SAP implementation in the world with respect to the number of users, was completed on-time and on-budget. This paper presents an inside look at this large-scale systems implementation: its motivation, the project structure, the complexity of project tasks, the project personnel and the project outcomes. The paper presents six factors that led IBM to a successful implementation: 1. top management commitment; 2. strong project management; 3. team member skills; 4. team member motivation and dedication; 5. effective communication with users; 6. an effectively planned and implemented change management strategy. Evidence of how these factors enabled the Personal Systems Group to successfully achieve the longer-term vision of streamlining their supply chain to increase productivity, cost savings, and customer satisfaction are also presented.

Keywords: enterprise resource planning; enterprise systems; ERP implementation; IBM; manufacturing; SAP implementation; supply chain management; SCM; critical success factors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIEM.2005.007232

International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management, 2005 Vol.3 No.1, pp.78 - 97

Published online: 25 Jun 2005 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article