ABSTRACT
Enterprise systems, also called enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, have been widely implemented by large firms since the 1990s, and now even small and midsized companies can acquire such technology. Vendors like SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft market these software packages as the overall business transaction solution for companies in different fields of business. While the first decade of use was disturbed by late and badly made implementations (Sumner, 2005) later research shows that companies implement these packages stepwise, with basic functions being put to action first (Lorenzo, Kawalek, & Ramdani, 2009; Davenport, Harris, & Cantrell, 2004). Thus, getting an enterprise system is an incremental process where internal functions seem to be prioritized. Enterprise systems have been described as the second most important information technology (IT) for companies after the Internet (Seddon, Shanks, & Willcocks 2003; Davenport & Prusak, 2003), which makes the effects and changes they have caused worth studying. Initially enterprise systems were described as the overall IT solution for companies (Davenport, 1998), but given that they have a heritage in material and resource planning (MRP) systems, their functionality is mainly production focused (Newell, Huang, Galliers, & Pan, 2003). Carlsson and Hedman (2004) also found that their logic is focused on everyday operations and is less useful for managers and thereby less valuable when it comes to strategic decisions. Thus, even if the enterprise system is a comprehensive, integrated, and company-spanning solution, its effect on companies can be questioned given its practical scope and functionality.
