ERP Implementation and Maintenance in a Lean Environment (The Importance of People and Process)

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems were introduced into organisations to provide a fully integrated business solution (IBS) and maintain competitive advantage. However, many of these ERP implementations experienced cost and schedule overruns and loss of system functionality. The implementation process is known to be difficult, wasteful and typically costing five times the purchase price. This work aims to identify leading practice in ERP implementation and support through a literature review and interviewing process with 15 UK aerospace companies as part of the UK lean aerospace initiative and also seeks to examine the relationship and application of lean practices with ERP systems. Despite the better understanding developed by this research and the improved methods and tools provided by the vendors of ERP and other control systems since the research was completed the issues raised are still, in the authors view, relevant