Avaliação das dificuldades enfrentadas em projetos ERP sob a perspectiva do analista de implantação

Abstract

Implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems helps optimize the performance of organizations by providing real-time information, directly supporting decision making and offering greater efficiency in their business. However, despite the benefits, the literature shows that the ERP implementation process is complex and is often carried out with several incidents. Therefore, we sought to assess the difficulties in ERP implementation projects, based on the critical success factors (CSF), from the perspective of the ERP implementation analyst. The research included 53 ERP implementation analysts who answered an online questionnaire, containing questions about the degrees of difficulties faced in CSF, assed by Likert scale. Participants were asked about the main difficulties faced in each of the stages of the ERP lifecycle. We applied a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in order to find correlations in the data structure evaluated and then establish smaller groups of strongly correlated variables, composing the dimensions of the main difficulties faced. We found that the main difficulties perceived from the CSFs are: change management, business process reengineering, communication, adjustment between ERP and business processes, and national culture. The PCA performed resulted in the grouping of the 18 CSFs into 3 dimensions, the project strategy dimension - PSD, which relates to the planning and design processes of the ERP implementation project; the business process dimension – BPD, which relates to the business model and process; and the product development dimension - PDD, which relates to technical activities of product modelling and development. The results of this study point to the main difficulties faced by ERP implementation analysts, providing information that can subsidize strategies for improving the ERP project implementation process. Intervening in the CSFs that pose greater difficulties may optimize the implementation process and save time and costs for companies.