A Combined Method for Analysing Critical Success Factors on ERP Implementation

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system offers vital capabilities to promote business competitiveness, operational excellence, and cost efficiency. Despite of advance in technology and research, enterprises are still struggling in the process of implementing and routinizing the use of ERP, as well as, achieving an optimal range of benefits it offers. The adoption challenges seem to be increasing in the context of developing countries where organizational cultures, attitude towards changes and ways of work are different than the context where ERP software was initiated. This study serves as a source of empirical evidences showing how ERP implementation can be carried out successfully for a SME manufacturing company in Thailand. The analysis was based on a series of in-depth interviews with the management, middle managers, and operational staffs of the company, which has integrated ERP to its enterprise processes and has enjoyed significant benefits of it for seven years. We combined qualitative analysis with a novel quantitative method called fuzzy weighting. Not only does the method offer better insight to the cases than the traditional approach, it also promotes internal validity of the analysis.