An Investigation into the Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning by Sa Ict Operators

Deployment of network enabled business tools, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), will be a crucial economic growth factor in the first part of the twenty-first century. Those businesses and countries that are able to adopt these technologies rapidly and seamlessly will enjoy the attendant crest of growth while others will fall behind. This paper explores the deployment of ERP, which is a business model utilizing technology to integrate key business and management processes within and beyond a firm’s boundary, in an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) operator. A study was carried out to find out why ICT operators in South Africa are so notoriously slow on ERP uptake even though they stand more to gain by it than other businesses. The findings indicate a strong need and demand for ERP in the South African ICT industry and that clear and quantifiable benefits can arise from successful implementation of ERP by ICT operators and other businesses outside the sector.