The influence of power and interest on designing inventory management systems

Based on a stakeholder perspective in this article results of an in-depth exploratory case study are presented. In our study we focus on how the established relationships among stakeholders within the Production-Sales interface may influence the process of (re)designing an Inventory Management System. Our exploratory case study indicates that different stakeholders may have different perceptions of the inventory management system and the way this system affects the power and interest position of the stakeholders involved. There are some strong indications that the attitude and behaviour of the stakeholders during the implementation as well as the usage of the inventory management system can be dominated by their assessment on how the system will affect the power and interest position of the stakeholders. The process of designing and implementing inventory management systems in other words, is not only a technical process but also a process subjected to perceptions and attitudes related to the power and interests of the stakeholders. It is important for project management to be aware of the different perceptions stakeholders may have of the potential effects of the system in order to guide the behaviour of the stakeholders. The framework presented in this article can be a first step in deepening our understanding of the mechanisms going on during the adoption of inventory management systems.