IS integration and enterprise migration - adaptation in global context

Abstract

Enterprise migration is the process in which two or more companies are merged into one. In practice, it means that different company cultures are unified, information systems of the merged companies are renewed, working practices are unified, and the administrative structure will change, etc. From the employees' point of view, it is a question of learning and adaptation process. This adaptation can be supported by proactive operations: training of the staff and the well-prepared integration of the information systems. Our paper is based on the foundations of two 'frameworks' – the first is an understanding of enterprise migration and the second is the adaptation process in the case of mergers and acquisitions. In the adaptation phase, the goal is seen as a learning organisation and the adaptation support as learning/training activities. The integration of information systems (IS) of the merged organisations plays a central role in our paper. We are developing a framework that provides a means to decompose the complexity in connection with the migration process. In addition, some migration and adaptation cases are introduced briefly and analysed – based on publicly available information.