Reasons for customizing packaged enterprise systems: a case study on an enterprise asset management system

Abstract

<p>Companies acquire information systems as software products developed by software vendors. These products, usually referred to as packaged enterprise systems (PESs), are customized to fit a customer company’s business needs and processes. Despite its practical relevance, the literature discusses customization sporadically and primarily focuses on the implementation, adoption, and critical success factors of enterprise resource planning systems. Another type of PES, enterprise asset management (EAM), is even more greatly overlooked, although it has a very large user base and a significant market share. In this paper, we explore why PESs are customized. We conduct a case study on the customization of a commercial EAM system in the Nordic region, which involves interviewing 16 business representatives and consultants involved in implementing and operating the EAM system in their respective organizations. We describe four categories of reasons for customizing EAM: the product lacks some features, business process needs necessitate customization, project management issues, and the relationship between the consultants and the business units leads to customization. We also show when they emerge in relation to the EAM project’s phases. Identifying and understanding these reasons can help product vendors and their customers assign their resources appropriately and tailor their activities toward achieving efficiency and feasibility.</p>