Software and Organisations : The Biography of the Enterprise-Wide System or How SAP Conquered the World

We describe a conceptual approach used to study large organisational software packages (such as enterprise-wide information systems). Building on earlier studies that have examined the mutual adaptation of technology and organisation, we develop a framework for investigating the 'biography' of software systems. Drawing on work from Science and Technology Studies, Material Culture and Cultural History, amongst others, we suggest an approach that follows the actual packages themselves as they evolve and mature, progress along their lifecycle, and move across sectoral and organisational boundaries. In this endeavour we address multiple timeframes and locales