The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System in a Small and Medium Enterprise – A Teaching Case of ERP Project Management

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation projects are notoriously risky. While large-scale ERP cases continue to be developed, relatively few new ERP cases have been published that further ERP implementation education in small to medium size firms. This case details the implementation of a new ERP system in a medium sized manufacturing firm. As students explore the case, they will be required to address the many ERP-related project management, procurement, human resource, and management involvement issues raised by it. This case highlights the ERP implementation problems experienced by case company in one of their two divisions. The firm is considering whether or not to implement this same ERP system in its other division. Before proceeding, the firm‟s board of directors has concluded that a review of the first division ERP implementation is needed. They believe that such an assessment could provide valuable insight and lessons learned, giving rise to improvement of the second division‟s ERP implementation outcome.