Clarifying leadership roles in ERP implementation projects

Existence of an adequate project champion role has been identified as a critical success factor in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects. However, the figure of the project champion is not yet quite well understood. Some authors relate it with the project sponsor figure while others relate it with the project manager figure. This paper tries to clarify these concepts. Our research framework is based upon an extensive ERP literature review and a web survey. The findings of this web survey suggest that the adequate project champion role is that of the project sponsor, emerging as a dual-role champion.