Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems success, evaluation of user's perceptions and satisfaction on expected benefits.

Abstract

Realising ERP system benefits requires clear understanding of the factors that influence the actual benefits derived from using it. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to identify and investigate how the expectations of general benefits that ERP users, have influences the actual benefits derived as well as user satisfaction. The investigation was conducted in a manufacturing company in South Africa that had an in-house ERP system adopted more than 10 years ago. The study was quantitative in nature and adopted a census method of data collection. Data was collected through a questionnaire tool and quantitative techniques were used to analyse the data. The Delone and Maclean Information Systems model was applied to guide the study in the collection of data and analysis. A correlation between ERP system benefits derived and user satisfaction was identified through the Spearman’s rank correlation technique which validated and in line with the Delone and Maclean Information Systems success model. Most of the respondents were found to have positive expectations regarding the general benefits that an ERP system should offer. Some users had high expectations while others had low expectations. Users with high expectations were more dissatisfied and not benefiting from the ERP system as compared to the other group with low expectations. Users with more systems experience did not find the ERP system too challenging as compared to the users who had lesser experience. Users with high expectations experienced higher benefits compared to those with low expectations. However, a very low number of users were not experiencing benefits among the group with low expectations compared to some of the individuals in the group with high expectations. An investigation of this nature has not been found in the literature. The results of the study can be used by business organisations to select employees with certain set of expectations. Business organisation can also apply the study results when selecting ERP system to purchase.