Small and Medium Enterprise Relevance and ERP System Implementation : Contextual Strategic Dimension

This research presents a meta analysis study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Compared to large enterprises, SMEs represent fundamentally different environments, with a number of characteristics typifying the SME context. Because of these distinguishing differences, the findings from studies of ERP implementation in large enterprises cannot be fully applied to SMEs. The purpose of this research is to explore the influences of the SME context on the ERP system implementation through previous study, addressing the following overall research question: How does the SME context affect ERP system implementation? The implementation term in this study refers to the entire ERP life-cycle, denoting the complete implementation process. A qualitative exploratory research approach is applied to answer the research question. The research is conducted through of literature review. The research strategy applied is to investigate influences of the contextual factors on various activities across the ERP life-cycle. A list of characteristics, which typify the SME context and could potentially influence on ERP implementation, is synthesized from relevant literature. The SME characteristics are grouped into three contextual dimensions: organizational, environmental, and technological. Then, the influences of the SME characteristics on various activities across the ERP life-cycle are explored. In particular, the applied strategy of investigating influences of SME characteristics on activities within the ERP life-cycle may serve as a useful perspective for further studies on ERP system implementation in SMEs