Developing Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) For Erp Implementation: A Case Study From Service Sector | Senthil K. Muthusamy, Ramaraj Palanisamy & Jonathan MacDonald

Organizations are exploring ways to improve business practices and procedures to gain competitive advantages. Many companies over the past two decades have decided to adopt one or another Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to improve their businesses but implementing an ERP system can be a demanding endeavor. The systems are so difficult to implement that, while some are successful, many have failed, causing multimillion dollar losses. The challenge of ERP solutions lie in implementation because they are complex, time consuming and expensive to implement. It is important to understand the problems that can arise in ERP implementation and knowing how best to overcome them. One way of doing this is by having a system available to aid in ERP implementation. Past research emphasized the usage of knowledge management systems (KMS) to ensure effective ERP implementation. By using a KMS during an ERP implementation process, potential problems can be identified early and addressed. This paper addresses the issues and challenges in using KMS as a tool for ERP implementation. A case study is given from a telecommunication company to gain more insight into the issues and challenges. Lessons from the analysis of issues and challenges are summarized.