Title: The road towards successful e-ordering implementation: success factors and barriers

Authors: Katarina Arbin

Addresses: Center for Information and Communication Research, Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, Hollandargatan 32, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: Implementing an e-ordering system in a successful way, i.e., managing the implementation process, overcoming the barriers that occur and achieving a satisfactory compliance rate, is not as easy as some consultants and software companies claim. Understanding how a given organisation has managed the implementation process (resulting in a satisfactory compliance rate)may help other organisations achieve the successful implementation of e-ordering systems. The present paper describes the implementation of an e-ordering system in a large pharmaceutical organisation, discussing the problems it faced and how those were overcome. An analysis of the success factors found in previous research is presented, revealing one area that influences implementation success to a larger extent: the end user uptake. A four-year longitudinal case study is presented, which is based on interviews, observations made in daily work, at meetings and training sessions, and other documentation.

Keywords: e-procurement; e-ordering; implementation; longitudinal study; case study; success factors; barriers; electronic procurement; procurement management; pharmaceuticals.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPM.2008.018429

International Journal of Procurement Management, 2008 Vol.1 No.4, pp.415 - 429

Published online: 21 May 2008 *

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