Development of a two-phase structural model for evaluating ERP critical success factors along with a case study

- Two-phase structural model for evaluating ERP CSFs is proposed.
- Interpretive structural modeling is used to structure CSFs.
- Causal dependencies among CSFs are analyzed via fuzzy cognitive maps.
- A real life case study is presented.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems increase knowledge processing capabilities and success of organizations if they are utilized effectively. Real life practice shows that neither all the firms have been successful in implementing ERP systems nor the ERP systems have been used effectively. For that reason, firms focus their attention to Critical Success Factors (CSFs)-based evaluation frameworks in order to reduce the chance of failure in ERP implementation. Although a vast amount of CSFs has been reported in the literature, decision makers face difficulties in dealing with large number of factors. In this respect, a manageable and understandable evaluation model is needed in real life situations. In this study, a two-phase structural model is proposed for evaluating ERP CSFs. In the first phase of the study, interpretive structural modeling is adopted to structure CSFs in a hierarchical form. In the second phase, hierarchically structured CSFs are evaluated by using fuzzy cognitive maps. The proposed model is implemented in one of the big Turkish ERP vendors in order to demonstrate the applicability of the model.