The mediating role of organizational complexity between enterprise resource planning and business model innovation

Almost any firm faces a change during its life that requires a redefinition of the business model to be more innovative, namely business model innovation (BMI) that designs an architecture to create, capture and deliver value to customers in the marketplace and society. These changes are a great opportunity to improve revenue and costs, but the associated organizational complexity also has drawbacks, due to the set of interrelationships and linkages within the firm. This situation could be even more relevant for firms that implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), due to the complexity of the software and also the difficult implementation process in the organization. In order to fill this gap, this study analyses 104 firms that have implemented ERP and deal simultaneously with BMI. The research objective is therefore to test the role of organizational complexity between ERP and BMI. Specifically, the aim is to test the mediating role of organizational complexity between ERP and BMI. Our findings reveal that organizational complexity mediates between ERP and BMI. Important implications for researchers and managers are provided to optimize ERP implementation so as to obtain a higher return on the costs and revenue associated with BMI.     

ERP与MRO系统集成过程建模与应用研究

为了实现产品生产阶段到服务阶段业务与数据的有效集成,从业务层和数据层对制造服务系统中的大修维护维修(MRO)与企业资源计划(ERP)的集成过程进行了建模与分析,对ERP与MRO系统之间的业务过程和信息交互过程进行了分析,建立了二者的业务集成框架模型,分析了ERP与MRO系统的数据结构转换过程,提出了二者数据集成模型。应用Web Services完成了ERP与MRO的系统集成开发,包括服务BOM集成、备品备件管理集成等。研究结果实现了制造和服务阶段关键产品数据信息的集成与反馈,打通了从制造到服务阶段的数据传递与集成,对进一步研究复杂产品生命周期管理的信息集成具有一定的借鉴意义。     

利用ERP实现施工企业信息集成管理

信息技术对其他传统行业的改造使其生产效率得到显著提升,利用企业资源规划（ERP）实现建筑企业信息集成管理可以优化企业资源配置,提升企业竞争力。在阐述了建筑企业ERP的功能、内涵和软件体系结构之后,研究了ERP的实施,以达到实现施工企业数据集成、企业与项目信息集成,以及促进组织流程重组的目的。     

Dynamic pricing models for ERP systems under network externality

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems vendors face great challenges to enhance their market position and maximize their profits. Being able to simultaneously predict the diffusion of an ERP and to determine the right price to charge to a customer is a complex task. Earlier work has demonstrated evidence of network effect in the diffusion of ERP software in industries. In light of this evidence, we investigate in this paper the benefit of a dynamic pricing strategy for ERP systems vendors in a business network governed by a quantitative diffusion model. Based on a real scenario in the automotive industry, those quantitative models are integrated into a simulation-based optimization approach to tackle the problem. Our findings are promising and establish the foundation of a powerful decision support tool for ERP systems vendors.     

Understanding ERP system implementation in a hospital by analysing stakeholders

Implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems requires significant organisational, as well as technical, changes. These will affect stakeholders with varying perspectives and interests in the system. This is particularly the case in health care, as a feature of this sector is that responsibility of services is shared between many autonomous units. In these and similar settings, it is essential to analyse stakeholders and to understand their expectations and attitudes towards the system. Such an understanding will help implementers to address stakeholder interests and to encourage acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretically based model to analyse how stakeholder attitudes and behaviours in a hospital setting affect the outcome of ERP implementation. This model is applied in an empirical study of a project to introduce an ERP system in medium‐sized hospital in The Netherlands. The study shows how the ERP implementation impacts the interests of stakeholders such as physicians and administrators, which caused tensions. The paper examines the reasons of these tensions. In doing so, it contributes to our understanding of ERP implementation in health care and any other similar sectors from a stakeholder perspective, and it may help implementers to manage this more effectively.     

The demand for training and consultancy investment in SME-specific ERP systems implementation and operation

This research examines the demand for the level of investment in training and consultancy necessary to successfully implement and operate small and medium sized enterprises (SME)-specific enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in SMEs. The extant literature on ERP, as well as established business practices adopted by the majority of ERP vendors and trainers, suggests that in order to implement and operate ERP systems effectively, a training model including an extensive training period, and often utilising external consultants, is a necessary condition. An in-depth case study has been conducted in this research on a UK-based SME-specific ERP systems vendor, which maintain that their SME-specific ERP systems can be implemented and operated effectively with only five days of formal training and no additional consultancy. This research evaluates the validity of this claim, and investigates the basis for the training model employed by the case company is, or is not, sufficient for users to successfully implement and operate SME-specific ERP systems.     

Studying processes in and around networks

The industrial marketing literature on business networks has drawn attention to the importance and yet the complexities of managing in a context of fluid and dynamic inter-organizational relationships. This context also poses significant challenges to researchers who wish to better understand the evolution of networks and the processes occurring in and around them in order to generate valuable theoretical insight and actionable knowledge for practitioners. After reviewing the nature of process research, this paper considers the key methodological choices and tradeoffs faced by process researchers interested in studying network dynamics. These choices and tradeoffs are illustrated by drawing on a series of exemplary process studies of networks derived from the entrepreneurship, strategic management, organization theory and industrial marketing literatures. The paper concludes by proposing that future studies might benefit from focusing on key network transformations and from mobilizing programmatic investments.     

从专业化管理向全面精细化管理方式的转变

以油气资源的勘探、开发与生产经营为核心的中国石油勘探与生产分公司原有的专业化管理系统仅着眼于油气储量和产量目标实现。为实现油气勘探与生产板块企业生产经营管理方式的转变,同时为中国石油企业发展方式转变提供决策支持。基于ERP先进的企业管理理念,以ERP基础理论与应用为基础,结合中国石油勘探与生产分公司建设与实施ERP管理的情况,重点论述中国石油勘探与生产分公司在管理方式转变上获得的管理效益。     

Market Information Acquisition,Use, and New Venture Performance*

A substantial body of existing research has linked firm performance to the acquisition and use of customer, competitor, and other market information. This paper examines the impact on new venture performance of formal processes for market information collection and use. This study hypothesizes that new venture performance will be an increasing function of both market information and use. Two moderator hypotheses are also tested. In particular, it is expected that the impact of formal market information processes will be greater in market‐driven new ventures than in technology‐driven new ventures. These hypotheses were tested using data collected from 222 Chinese new ventures. The empirical analysis confirms the positive role of formal processes in new venture performance. However, the analysis does not support the moderator hypotheses. This study finds that (1) formal processes for information acquisition are equally important in technology‐driven and market‐driven firms and (2) formal processes for information use have a greater impact on new venture performance in technology‐driven firms than in market‐driven firms.     

Technology development processes: A model for a developing country with a global perspective

This paper presents a conceptual model as a new framework of the technology development processes in LDCs based on global perspective. The proposed model consists of three development stages such as initiation, internalization, and generation, as well as some propositions related to the levels of transferred technology, technology acquisition modes, technology elements mastered, and major contributors of technology development in each development stage.
The model explains several dynamic changes in LDC's development processes with global perspectives focussing on the DC-LDC linkages. In addition to formal channels, this model also deals with non-formal channels, including imitation, which are unduly neglected in the literature, equally important as methods of technology acquisition. Moreover, the proposed model analyzes the technology development processes from several different standpoints and embraces multi-level units of analysis such as country, industry, firm, and unit technology. Because the proposed model explains the observable phenomena only and is a conceptual model to be tested, further theoretical studies are needed to explain the underlying principles of technology development in LDCs such as the technology learning theory. In addition, further empirical studies to test the global perspective model in various situations are needed.     

The dynamics of factors affecting the adoption of innovations

An abundance of IT innovations are constantly struggling for market acceptance. Various models have been proposed in the literature in order to aid understanding of the principles behind the adoption of IT innovations, but most of them implicitly assume that the factors explaining adoption decisions do not change over time. This study challenges that assumption and adds to the existing literature by investigating the dynamics of the factors influencing adoption. Our general proposition is that the driving factors in adopting innovations will change as the diffusion of the innovation in the market progresses. A large-scale empirical study was carried out among medium-sized companies in a variety of European countries and industries concerning the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The findings strongly indicate that the factors affecting late adoption of ERP differ significantly from the factors explaining early adoption. At early stages of the diffusion process adoption tends to be especially driven by a combination of internal strategic drives and attitudes of the firm together with external forces like industry competition and supplier activities. Later on, the mix of adoption stimulating factors seems to be focusing more on implementation issues such as the scalability of the system, the number of seats and the yearly available budget. The study leads to both new methodological insights and substantive conclusions that also have practical implications.     

An innovation activity model for Very Small Entities in the software sector: an empirical study

Innovation management is a subdiscipline of management that studies the rules that govern the generation, diffusion, adoption of innovation, and relationships between innovation inputs and outputs. A great number of innovative products and services depend on software. In the software industry, many small entities act as subcontractors that develop components that are later integrated into larger industrial systems. However, these small entities do not have the resources needed to support long-term R&D activities and they also lack innovation management models which makes the planning and execution of innovation management difficult. These same small enterprises face similar challenges in the software development process. However, the ISO/IEC 29110 standard provides small enterprises with a clear path in implementing a systematic software development process. The planning and execution of innovation management activities may also benefit from a similar approach. This article describes an innovation activity model suited to the characteristics of small entities whose main stream of revenue is software development. Using the existing literature, standards, and the practical experience of companies with a successful history of developing innovative software-based products, this study identifies the activities and practices that lead to the development of innovative products. Interfaces between innovation management activities, software development processes, and work products are also identified.     

ERP application in China: An overview

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are among the most important enablers for business intelligence and planning functionality in supply chains. We provide an overview of ERP research and its development and implementation in China. We describe the current market, challenges and future trends for ERP software in China. Cases are provided where ERP implementations have been used to enhance supply chain management of major companies. One of the (not unexpected) findings is that not only analytical data concepts play an important role in successful ERP implementations in China but also cultural and language aspects.     

顺酐工艺技术路线的综合评价与择优

从生产成本、能耗、技术路线的先进性、操作与维护等方面对以正丁烷为原料生产顺酐的四种工艺技术进行综合对比评价，用模糊数学的方法选择最优工艺。     

Stalling innovation of Cognitive Radio: The case for a dedicated frequency band

After more than a decade of frantic R&D efforts, Cognitive Radio (CR) technology continues to fail to pass the first developmental milestone of a working prototype, suggesting that the CR innovation process may be stalling. This paper analyzes possible reasons for this situation from the perspective of innovation management and economics. The CR innovation process has developed in a complex environment shaped by a combination of technology-push and market-pull forces. This paper shows that this process is being stifled by two barriers emerging from the current reliance of CR technology on opportunistic dynamic spectrum access as the sole means for entry into the wireless market. The technology-push is affected by the barrier of technological complexities linked to the requirement to protect highly sensitive incumbent systems. The market-pull forces are being negated by market lock-in and a strong status quo of well-established wireless players. This paper argues that overcoming these barriers and revitalizing the practical development of CR could be possible with the aid of light-touch governmental intervention. This could take the form of designating a dedicated CR band, which would benefit CR through less strict spectrum access requirements. A vibrant cognitive environment could flourish in this type of band, supporting CR innovation.     

Development of a Technical Innovation Audit

Measuring performance is helpful, but it's only part of the story. To learn from our past successes and failures, we need to understand how they came about. To continually improve, we must examine not only our innovation performance, but the processes with which we develop and exploit these innovations. Vittorio Chiesa, Paul Coughlan, and Chris Voss present a framework for auditing technical innovation management. Their auditing methodology goes beyond performance measurement by highlighting problems and needs, and providing information that can be used in developing action plans for improving performance. The foundation of their audit methodology is a process model of technical innovation. The model addresses the managerial processes and the organizational mechanisms through which innovation is performed. Underlying this method is the notion that success in innovation is related to good practice in the relevant management processes. The model identifies four core processes: concept generation, product development, process innovation, and technology acquisition. Supporting these core processes are three enabling processes: the deployment of human and financial resources, the effective use of appropriate systems and tools, and senior management leadership and direction. The outcome from these core and enabling processes is performance in terms of innovation and the resulting competitiveness in the marketplace. This model provides the basis for a detailed audit of current innovation practice and performance. The audit has two dimensions: the process audit assesses whether the processes necessary for innovation are in place and the degree to which best practice is used; and the performance audit focuses on the outcomes of each core and enabling process and of the overall process of technological innovation and its effect on competitiveness. The performance audit helps identify needs and problems, but it doesn't explain why gaps exist between current and required performance and it doesn't provide an action plan for closing these gaps. The process audit meets these needs. The audit methodology uses a two-level approach: a rapid assessment based on innovation scorecards and an in-depth audit. These scorecards provide an overview of the company's strengths and weaknesses with regard to technical innovation management, highlighting those areas that require in-depth examination. The in-depth audit identifies not only the processes, but the areas within each requiring attention.     

A fast method for analysing and improving complex software processes

This paper presents a simple, fast method (or management tool) for the analysis and improvement of software-intensive complex products and systems (CoPS) called software analysis-software improvement (SA-SI). The tool relies on outside intervention, rapid data collection and structured in-company workshops. The distinctive feature of the method is that it focuses on the 'soft', human side of the software development process and examines and compares formal (or rational) processes ('what should be') with real, actual practices ('what is'), in order to identify problems, their causes and strategies for improvement. The tool complements existing formal approaches by delivering a 'bottom up', grass roots, practitioner view of real processes in action. The purpose of SA-SI is to help overcome the severe problems of measuring, analysing and improving performance in large scale, complex software projects. An illustrative case example (Company X) is used to show how the tool is applied and how it confronts the problem of actual/real processes differing from ideal/formal processes. It also shows how SA-SI is used to identify process 'hot spots'(severe problems), analyse their causes and identify solutions. The paper provides guidance on typical problems encountered in running SA-SI and how to overcome them. It also shows how the tool has been modified and extended to deal with other complex domains and innovation management issues. Although SA-SI cannot be a substitute for a change programme, it can play a useful part in complementing ongoing improvement activities. From a research perspective, the method helps link up studies from the organisational development and software fields and assists in 'closing the loop' between innovation research and business practice.     

并购失败：管理者利益保护还是经济安全威胁解除？——凯雷收购徐工案例研究

凯雷集团并购徐工机械是国内第一起由国际私人股权基金获得大型国有企业绝对控股权的案例。文章采用事件研究法,以徐工机械控股的上市公司徐工科技为研究对象,分析了此次并购过程中的五个事件：首次签署并购协议,博客门事件,修订并购协议,二次修订并购协议,协议到期。研究表明上市公司股东在前两个事件中获得了显著的正超常收益,而在后两个事件中的超常收益显著为负,至协议到期并购失败后又获得显著为正的超常收益。从并购过程中的市场反应来看,支持经济安全威胁的证据比支持管理者利益保护的证据更强。