醫(yī)藥企業(yè)信息化實(shí)施與建設(shè)外文翻譯

標(biāo)題：醫(yī)藥企業(yè)信息化實(shí)施與建設(shè)問題研究的背景：吸引他們的保證,是提高業(yè)務(wù)的生產(chǎn)力,流線型的經(jīng)營(yíng)成本,并增加儲(chǔ)蓄(Tilley蘇達(dá)權(quán)等,2007年),組織發(fā)起倡議將全世界的ERP系統(tǒng)進(jìn)入他們現(xiàn)有的經(jīng)營(yíng)環(huán)境。有一個(gè)增長(zhǎng)的增加使用企業(yè)資源計(jì)劃(ERP)系統(tǒng)發(fā)展,例如,通過SAP、Oracle、BaaN,愛德華茲作為仁科和相應(yīng)的商業(yè)信息系統(tǒng)平臺(tái)為大企業(yè)和政府的公司在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家如美國(guó)、英國(guó)、加拿大和澳大利亞(達(dá)文波特,1998)。卡瑪和Hillegersberg(2000)聲明指出:采用ERP系統(tǒng),現(xiàn)在已被大多數(shù)財(cái)富五百?gòu)?qiáng)企業(yè)公司,并作為高端市場(chǎng)成為飽和,ERP系統(tǒng)是逐級(jí)下我國(guó)中小團(tuán)體和地區(qū)以外的最初滲透在歐洲和北美。只要有廣泛的采用ERP系統(tǒng)在歐洲和北美,發(fā)展中國(guó)家遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)落后。然而,由于經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng),發(fā)展中國(guó)家正在成為主要目標(biāo)ERP供應(yīng)商。在一些發(fā)展中國(guó)家，多家大型和中型組織實(shí)施ERP解決方案和更有望跟進(jìn)。大部分采用組織加入的ERP浪潮的假設(shè)相對(duì)輕松地用他們都從中受益的所謂‘最佳的商業(yè)模式”嵌入在ERP系統(tǒng)。然而,在傳輸信息系統(tǒng)開發(fā)的ERP，通常喜歡在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家對(duì)發(fā)展中國(guó)家往往是——孽海誤匹配的問題與當(dāng)?shù)?、文化、?jīng)濟(jì)和監(jiān)管要求。例如,聲明指出:與此同時(shí),ERP是開始出現(xiàn)在各大機(jī)構(gòu)的發(fā)展中國(guó)家。研究較少的實(shí)踐進(jìn)行比較的ERP實(shí)施對(duì)發(fā)展中國(guó)家的發(fā)展。ERP技術(shù)在發(fā)展中國(guó)家面臨著額外的挑戰(zhàn)與經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化和基本的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施問題。研究布雷迪狀態(tài),在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家,主要是進(jìn)行的統(tǒng)計(jì)數(shù)字表明,組織經(jīng)常遇到的困難和昂貴的、有時(shí)可以致命的實(shí)施和后續(xù)維護(hù)ERP系統(tǒng)。例如,觀察到典型的ERP實(shí)施主動(dòng)采取任何一至三年,典型的預(yù)算是在幾千萬到數(shù)以千萬計(jì)的美元。廣受歡迎的新聞界和貿(mào)易雜志有書面的成功和失敗,但都以極少的解釋的潛在原因。高慶宇估計(jì)其故障率等ERP的實(shí)施在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家之間66%和70%。自從交易物品媒體現(xiàn)在處處充滿了ERP系統(tǒng)的失敗,在歐洲和北美在那里大多數(shù)的這些系統(tǒng)源于我們同意黃和PalviaERP論證的,很可能是更有問題的不發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家像鑒于ERP技術(shù)在發(fā)展中國(guó)家面臨著額外的挑戰(zhàn)與經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的問題”。有Uchumi連鎖醫(yī)藥企業(yè)在2006年6月后關(guān)閉破產(chǎn)——投擲坦言這是一千多名員工的工作和債務(wù)而成百上萬先令的擴(kuò)張戰(zhàn)略和窮人安裝了ERP系統(tǒng)科研專家的一些原因,為破產(chǎn),尤其是因?yàn)樗麄儽毁Y助的營(yíng)運(yùn)資本,導(dǎo)致在捆綁了迫切需要的金融資源,還清供應(yīng)商、員工和其他商業(yè)債權(quán)人。分析師進(jìn)一步認(rèn)為,ERP系統(tǒng)的集成和實(shí)施,很糟糕的員工被訓(xùn)練不佳,成本都是不合理的。經(jīng)驗(yàn)是醫(yī)藥企業(yè)的實(shí)例,指出了那里是一個(gè)緊急的需求為理解ERP實(shí)踐不發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家,因?yàn)檫@些系統(tǒng)仍處于早期階段,在這些國(guó)家,面臨著經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的挑戰(zhàn)。采用ERP使用的一種獨(dú)特的問題提出在撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區(qū)的欠發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家的未被解決,特別是在過去的研究。所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)提出用戶和供應(yīng)商在ERP實(shí)施組織、語境因素(國(guó)家)的影響及組織實(shí)施,以及ERP收養(yǎng),使用。因此,本研究將探討ERP和升級(jí)實(shí)踐在私人和公共領(lǐng)域的組織在肯尼亞。ERP實(shí)施的困難在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家可能會(huì)因這樣的觀點(diǎn),建立了ERP體現(xiàn)了商務(wù)方式從而要求組織采用ERP系統(tǒng)來改變他們的業(yè)務(wù)過程,以符合商業(yè)慣例建在ERP的軟件包。供應(yīng)商認(rèn)為這些最佳實(shí)踐的采用使得配置軟件的花費(fèi)更少,并提出了改善該組織的過程。因此,組織和他們的成員經(jīng)常經(jīng)歷壓力采取這些措施.ERP系統(tǒng)是由供應(yīng)商開發(fā)利用自身的現(xiàn)有資源的知識(shí)、資源和規(guī)范。這將包括開發(fā)者組織自身的商業(yè)策略和普遍的規(guī)范是什么構(gòu)成了最佳實(shí)踐。一般來說,“精神”的方式,反映了ERP包信仰的價(jià)值體系具有單種動(dòng)議,因此傾向于擁有的特性與跨職能的過程集成和對(duì)齊系統(tǒng)的數(shù)據(jù)共享。實(shí)習(xí)部分進(jìn)一步認(rèn)為,開發(fā)商和新航組織要求,而建?？赡芤栽O(shè)計(jì)系統(tǒng),通常都把網(wǎng)絡(luò)上的機(jī)構(gòu)使他們的訪問。這些“可資借鑒的組織通常是那些從他們的國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)和其他的市場(chǎng)中,他們有一個(gè)強(qiáng)大的形象。這樣的市場(chǎng)很可能是由國(guó)家及行業(yè)邊界的定義。合成結(jié)構(gòu)嵌入在包也會(huì)因此反映上下文的集團(tuán)公司,開發(fā)人員和異性交往最密切在設(shè)計(jì)和開發(fā)的軟件。作為一個(gè)結(jié)果,組織采用ERP系統(tǒng)可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)這些系統(tǒng)的假設(shè)所體現(xiàn)的關(guān)于自然和組織方式,他們運(yùn)作他們自己的存在背道而馳的結(jié)構(gòu)和工作方法。實(shí)習(xí)部分孫俐。(2000),例如,觀察軸線與組織結(jié)構(gòu)之間ERP包表示在正式的規(guī)定、程序和文化準(zhǔn)則進(jìn)行了在他們的研究中,在新加坡。但他們也指出：我們的研究結(jié)果提示錯(cuò)位的問題,(差距的功能提供的包裝和所需的組織)可能會(huì)采取更糟糕,因?yàn)樵趤喼薜纳虡I(yè)模式潛在大多數(shù)歐洲或者美國(guó)ERP包反映工業(yè)實(shí)踐。程序在亞洲組織可能會(huì)在不同有進(jìn)化不同文化、經(jīng)濟(jì)和管理上的上下文?？紤]到撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區(qū)的文化語境的不同體現(xiàn)組織實(shí)踐,所遇到的北美和歐洲的ERP系統(tǒng)是大部分發(fā)展起來,也有重大問題聯(lián)系在一起的再造當(dāng)?shù)氐膶?shí)踐和過程。此外,ERP作為資本密集的時(shí)候,也可能要面對(duì)的預(yù)算(Heeks約束它,2002年)和肯尼經(jīng)濟(jì)性能較差,因此該區(qū)域。文化沖突升級(jí)實(shí)施成本,并可導(dǎo)致長(zhǎng)時(shí)間的時(shí)期,組織實(shí)施花更多的時(shí)間和資源,在解決文化沖突。它將成為一個(gè)兩疊問題:公司缺乏金融資源以獲得定制的世界級(jí)的ERP系統(tǒng),ERP企業(yè)還沒有準(zhǔn)備好有效地應(yīng)付這些市場(chǎng)的需要定制過程。在許多情況下,基本設(shè)施為支持ERP可能欠缺或不足,使組織獲得最佳效益從ERP投資。ERP系統(tǒng)實(shí)施和用法也需要專業(yè)技能,這也可能不能保持足夠的可用在發(fā)展中國(guó)家。以上表明,提出的論點(diǎn),通常會(huì)有差距的系統(tǒng)和各種特定的語言環(huán)境下,慣例和要求的特定用戶組織。我們可以得出的結(jié)論是潛在的商業(yè)模式內(nèi)置在ERP完全語境偏見,如國(guó)家(例如,歐洲或美國(guó)的實(shí)踐)、行業(yè)(例如,私營(yíng)部門),工業(yè)(例如,制造),甚至偏見在組織的實(shí)踐(例如,面向工作流)。在這張票據(jù),我們認(rèn)為,在語境差異采用ERP包中供應(yīng)商和組織的存在,這是很重要的,明確的區(qū)別,以及它是如何考慮可能影響采納和隨后利用了ERP的包裹。因此,本研究將尋找證據(jù)如何影響組織背景下的ERP系統(tǒng)實(shí)施和升級(jí)以及如何影響組織語境是實(shí)施ERP系統(tǒng)的使用,和使用作為個(gè)案研究。盡管所有的利益,實(shí)施ERP可能是一種有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的事業(yè)(Poba-Nzaou高慶宇,2008)等。病房孫俐。(2005)觀察到,由于管理有關(guān)的挑戰(zhàn),在實(shí)施過程中許多ERP項(xiàng)目已經(jīng)被終止。Arif孫俐。(2005)和Alshawi孫俐。(2004)斷言勢(shì)在必行,組織能夠覺察到的挑戰(zhàn)和其他人的生活經(jīng)驗(yàn),能夠通過學(xué)習(xí)和實(shí)踐的挑戰(zhàn),因?yàn)閺?fù)雜的、綜合的性質(zhì)和大規(guī)模的投資計(jì)劃、參與。識(shí)別有關(guān)本地公司的挑戰(zhàn)是一種方式來增加成功的機(jī)會(huì)Otieno當(dāng)?shù)谽RP(Otieno;Leopoldo,2008年及2005年出版)。因此,本研究旨在確定組織所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)的ERP系統(tǒng)實(shí)施過程中肯尼亞人。一個(gè)僅僅學(xué)習(xí)Ng(2001)的細(xì)節(jié)之間的差別,技術(shù)和功能升級(jí)。缺乏資訊是有點(diǎn)出乎意料的ERP升級(jí)了,升級(jí)一般同意為公司是必要的生存和競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。他們的產(chǎn)品作為軟件供應(yīng)商提高應(yīng)對(duì)公司未來的業(yè)務(wù)需要,他們釋放的升級(jí)和更多的功能和更好的性能。雖然性能改善不一定是預(yù)期的升級(jí),我們有理由期待,組織去升級(jí)ERP系統(tǒng)的目的都是為了實(shí)現(xiàn)福利,如更大的效率,功能性的改善,當(dāng)前ERP系統(tǒng)可能少(潘恩,2000;比提和威廉姆斯,2006b)。用戶的ERP系統(tǒng),決定是否及何時(shí)升級(jí),從當(dāng)前的版本需要一種不間斷的過程的評(píng)價(jià)方式。一個(gè)最被忽視的問題相關(guān)的決定是ERP系統(tǒng)從一個(gè)版本升級(jí)到另一個(gè)地方。雖然對(duì)實(shí)踐的指導(dǎo)意義升級(jí)的決定已經(jīng)開始出現(xiàn)在文獻(xiàn)(例句。比提與威廉姆斯(2006a)),大多數(shù)研究ERP的主要集中在初始收養(yǎng),ERP系統(tǒng)的升級(jí)和實(shí)證研究實(shí)踐和決策是有限的不論是在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家還是在發(fā)展中國(guó)家。吳(2001)發(fā)現(xiàn),并采用維護(hù)或升級(jí),實(shí)現(xiàn)提高業(yè)務(wù)效益和成本是一主要涉及在這些決定。雖然有價(jià)值的研究,其中吳思遠(yuǎn)維護(hù)和升級(jí)決策相結(jié)合在一起使得它難以理解升級(jí)決策過程完全獨(dú)立了。因此,本研究將調(diào)查ERP升級(jí)的實(shí)踐和決策過程在肯尼亞組織?；诠δ艿慕ㄗhFriedland&阿爾弗雷德?諾斯?(1991)本研究堅(jiān)持需要研究組織位于他們的社會(huì)背景和信息系統(tǒng)在他們的組織設(shè)置。因此,在一般本研究調(diào)查組織和國(guó)家的文脈關(guān)系所采納并使用，以及如何實(shí)現(xiàn)的語境和ERP系統(tǒng)相互影響。ERP系統(tǒng)具有商業(yè)慣例表達(dá)傾向標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化。本研究尋求作出貢獻(xiàn)的有爭(zhēng)議的問題上的沖突的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化和國(guó)產(chǎn)化的商業(yè)行為。外文文獻(xiàn)原文Title:MedicalinformationimplementationandconstructionMaterialSource:ElsevierChinaScience&TechnologyAuthor:AankitaKaur;;MansafAlamQuestionresearchbackground:theyareattractedtoguarantee,istoimprovethebusinessproductivity,streamlinedoperationcost,andincreasesavings(TilleySueofrights,2007),launchedinitiativewilltheworldERPsystemintotheirexistingbusinessenvironment.Therehasbeenagrowingincreasinguseofenterpriseresourceplanning(ERP)systemdevelopment,forexample,throughtheSAP,Oracle,BaaN,EdwardsaspeoplesoftandcorrespondingbusinessinformationsystemplatformforlargeenterprisesandgovernmentcompanyindevelopedcountriesliketheUnitedStates,Britain,CanadaandAustralia(davenport,1998).KumarandHillegersberg(2000)statementsays:UsingERPsystemandhasnowbeenmostofthefortune500companies,andasahigh-endmarketbecomessaturated,ERPsystemissmallandmedium-sizedgroupsandfilteringdownoutsidethedistrictfirstpenetrationinEuropeandNorthAmerica.WhilethereiswideadoptionofERPsystemsinEuropeandNorthAmerica,developingcountrieslagfarbehind.However,duetoeconomicgrowth,developingcountriessuchasKenyaarebecomingmajortargetsforERPvendors.Insomedevelopingcountries,forexampleKenya,anumberoflargeandmid-sizedorganisationshaveimplementedERPsolutionsandmoreareexpectedtofollowsuit.Themajorityofadoptingorganisationsthatjoinedthe`ERPbandwagon’presumedthatwithrelativeeasetheycanbenefitfromthealleged`bestbusinesspractices’thatareembeddedwithinERPsystems.However,thetransferofinformationsystemslikeERP–typicallydevelopedindevelopedcountries–todevelopingcountriesisoftenmarredbyproblemsofmismatchwithlocal,cultural,economicandregulatoryrequirements.Forinstance,statethat:Meanwhile,ERPisbeginningtoappearinmanyorganisationsofdevelopingcountries.LittleresearchhasbeenconductedtocomparetheimplementationpracticesofERPindevelopedvsdevelopingcountries...ERPtechnologyfacesadditionalchallengesindevelopingcountriesrelatedtoeconomic,cultural,andbasicinfrastructureissues.Gargeya&Bradystatethatstudies,mostlyconductedindevelopedcountries,showthatorganisationsoftenrunintocostlyandsometimesfataldifficultieswithimplementationandsubsequentmaintenanceofERPsystems.Forexample,Akkermans&vanHeldenandMonk&WagnerobservethatatypicalERPimplementationinitiativetakesanywherebetweenoneandthreeyearsandtypicalbudgetsareintenstohundredsofmillionsofdollars.Popularpressandtradejournalshavedocumentedbothsuccessesandfailuresbutwithverylittleexplanationontheunderlyingcauses.Poba-Nzaouetal.estimatethefailurerateofERPimplementationsindevelopedcountriestobebetween66%and70%.SincethetradepressisnowrepletewitharticlesonERPfailuresinEuropeandNorthAmericawheremostthesesystemsoriginatefrom,weagreewiththeHuang&PalviaargumentthatERPimplementationislikelytobemoreproblematicinlessdevelopedcountrieslikeKenya,giventhatERPtechnologyfacesadditionalchallengesindevelopingcountriesrelatedtoeconomic,cultural,andbasicinfrastructureissues".InKenya,thestate-ownedUchumisupermarketchaincloseddowninJune2006afteradmittingitwasinsolvent—throwingmorethan1,000employeesoutofworkandleavingdebtsofhundredsofmillionsofKenyanshillingsTheover-ambitiousexpansionstrategyandthepoorinstallationoftheERPsystemwerecitedbyexpertsassomeofthereasonswhichcontributedtoinsolvency,especiallysincetheywerefinancedoutofworkingcapitalwhichresultedintyingupthemuchneededfinancialresourcestopayoffsuppliers,employeesandothertradecreditors.AnalystsfurtherarguedthattheERPsystemwaspoorlyintegratedandimplemented,staffwerepoorlytrained,andcostswereunjustifiable.TheUchumisupermarketexperienceisanexamplethatthereItisanurgentneedforunderstandingERPimplementationpracticesinlessdevelopedcountries,andinKenyainparticular,becausethesesystemsarestillintheirearlystagesinthesecountriesandfaceeconomic,culturalandinfrastructurechallenges.TheadoptionanduseofERPinKenyaraisesauniquequestionforlessdevelopedcountrieswithinSub-SaharanAfricathathasnotbeenaddressedinpreviousstudies,i.e.thechallengesfacedbyuserandvendororganisationsduringERPimplementationandthecontextualfactors(nationalandorganisational)thatinfluenceERPadoption,implementation,anduse.Thisresearchwill,therefore,exploreERPimplementationandupgradepracticesamongtheprivateandpublicsectororganisationsinKenya.ThedifficultyinERPimplementationindevelopedcountriesmaybeexacerbatedbytheclaimthatERPembodiesestablishedwaysofdoingbusinesstherebyrequiringorganisationsadoptingERPsystemstochangetheirbusinessprocessestoconformtobusinesspracticesinbuiltinERPpackages.Vendorsarguethattheadoptionofthesebestpracticesmakestheconfiguringofthesoftwarelesscostlyandbringsaboutimprovementintheorganisation'sprocesses.Consequently,organisationsandtheirmembersoftenexperiencepressuretoadoptthesepractices.ERPsystemsaredevelopedbyvendorswhodrawontheirexistingsourcesofknowledge,resourcesandnorms.Thesewouldincludethedeveloperorganisation'sownbusinessstrategyandprevailingnormsaboutwhatconstitutesbestpractice.Ingeneral,the`spirit’ofERPpackagesreflectsbeliefsaboutthevalueofhavingasingleenterprise-widesystem,andhencetendtohavefeaturesthatarealignedwithcross-functionalprocessintegrationandenterprise-widedatasharing.Soh&Siafurtherarguethatdevelopers,whilemodelinglikelyorganisationalrequirementsinordertodesignthesystem,usuallydrawonthenetworkoforganisationstowhichtheyhaveaccess.These`referent’organisationsareusuallythosefromtheirhomemarketandothermarketsinwhichtheyhaveamajorpresence.Suchmarketsarelikelytobedefinedbynationalandindustryboundaries.Thestructuresembeddedintheresultantpackagewillthereforereflectthecontextofthegroupofcompaniesthatthedevelopersinteractedwithmostcloselyduringthedesignanddevelopmentofthesoftware.Asaresult,organisationsadoptingERPsystemsmayfindtheassumptionsembodiedbythesesystemsaboutthenatureoforganisationsandthewaysinwhichtheyoperateruncountertotheirownexistingstructuresandworkpractices.Sohetal.(2000),forinstance,observedmisalignmentsbetweenERPpackagesandorganisationalstructuresexpressedinformalrules,procedures,andculturalnormsintheirstudywhichwasconductedinSingapore.Theystatedthat:Ourfindingssuggestthemisfitissue(gapsbetweenthefunctionalityofferedbythepackageandthatrequiredbytheadoptingorganisation)maybeworseinAsiabecausethebusinessmodelsunderlyingmostERPpackagesreflectEuropeanorU.S.industrypractices.ProceduresinAsianorganisationsarelikelytobedifferenthavingevolvedinadifferentcultural,economicandregulatorycontext.GiventhatSub-SaharanAfricaculturalcontextsembodyorganisationalpracticesdifferentfromthoseencounteredinNorthAmericaandEuropewheremostofERPsystemsaredeveloped,therecanbesignificantproblemsassociatedwiththereengineeringoflocalpracticesandprocesses.Furthermore,ERPbeingcapitalintensive,islikelytobefacedwithconstrainedITbudgets(Heeks&Kenny,2002)duetopooreconomicperformanceinthisregion.Culturalconflictsescalateimplementationcost,andcanleadtolongimplementationperiodasorganisationsspendmoretimeandresourcesinresolvingculturalconflicts.Thisbecomesatwofoldproblem:companieslackthefinancialresourcestogainaccesstotailoredworld-classERPsystems;andERPcompaniesarenotpreparedtodealeffectivelywiththecustomisationprocessesthatthesemarketsrequire.Inmanycases,thebasicinfrastructureforsupportingERPmaybelackingorinsufficienttoenableorganisationstoreapoptimumbenefitsfromERPinvestments.ERPimplementationandusagealsorequirespecialisedskillswhichmaynotbesufficientlyavailableindevelopingcountries.Theargumentsabovesuggestthatthereisoftenagapbetweenthesystemandspecificcontexts,practicesandrequirementsofparticularuserorganisations.Wecanconcludethattheunderlyingbusinessmodelsin-builtinERPhaveimplicitcontextualbiasessuchascountry(forexample,EuropeanorAmericanpractices),sector(forexample,privatesector),industry(forexample,manufacturing),andevenbiasesinorganisationalpractices(forexample,process-orientedworkflow).Onthisnote,wearguethatwherecontextualdifferencebetweentheERPpackagevendorandtheadoptingorganisationexist,itisimportanttoexplicitlyconsiderthedifferenceandhowitmayinfluencetheadoptionandsubsequentlytheuseoftheERPpackage.Therefore,thisresearchwillseekevidenceonhowtheorganisationalcontextinfluencesERPsystemsimplementationandupgradeandhowtheorganisationalcontextisaffectedbytheimplementationandanduseofERPsystemusingKenyaasacasestudy.Inspiteofallthebenefits,implementingERPcanbeariskyundertaking(Poba-Nzaouetal.,2008).Wardetal.(2005)observethatduetothebehaviourialandmanagementrelatedchallengesintheimplementationprocessmanyERPprojectshavebeenterminated.Arifetal.(2005)andAlshawietal.(2004)assertitisimperativefororganisationstobeawareofthechallengesandtheexperiencesofothers,andtolearnfromtheirchallengesandpractices,becauseofthecomplexandintegratednatureofERP,andthelargeinvestmentinvolved.IdentifyingchallengesrelevanttolocalcompaniesisonewaytoincreasethechancesofasuccessfullocalERPimplementation(Otieno,2008;Leopoldo&Otieno,2005).Therefore,thisresearchwillaimtoidentifychallengesfacedbyKenyanorganisationsduringERPsystemsimplementation.OnlyonestudyNg(2001)detailsthedifferencebetweentechnicalandfunctionalupgrades.TheabsenceofinformationaboutERPupgradesissomewhatsurprisinggiventhegeneralconsentthatupgradingisessentialforcompaniestosurviveandcompete.Assoftwarevendorsenhancetheirproductstorespondtoanticipatedbusinessneeds,theyreleaseupgradeswithmorefeaturesandbetterperformance.Althoughperformanceimprovementsarenotnecessarilyanticipatedinanupgrade,itisreasonabletoexpectorganisationstoupgradeERPsystemsforthepurposeofachievingbenefitssuchasgreaterefficiencyandimprovedfunctionalitythatthecurrentERPsystemmaybelacking(Paine,2000;Beatt