ABSTRACT
The notion of best practice is a foundational concept for vendors of Enterprise Resource Planning systems who use it to support a claim to provide tried and tested, 'best of breed' process models. The product resulted from a socio-political process involving negotiations amongst a small group of interests in a particular context. This process is illuminated through the presentation of an intensive case study in which chapter follow the creation of the ERP product destined to be marketed as a best practice solution for higher education institutions. The chapter focuses on the design of an ERP-based grants management system to highlight the role of software in shaping operations and strategy at a firm and industry level. Using theoretical concepts from Science and Technology Studies literature, chapter illuminate how the design of the ERP product changed the nature of work, and how such practices were locally refuted and amended, despite the original product continuing to be sold by the software vendor.
