Does the implementation and use of ERP systems restricts people's freedom? Is there a future in the current closed model of ERP systems development?
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1. Week 9 Lecture ERP Systems and Freedom A Class
Discussion
2. Introduction
There is no silver bullet to the discussions of today and
3. I do not know the answers to the questions we will be
discussing today and therefore 4. We are all learning together 5.
Introduction
Having attended and being a member of many discussions on ERP
systems, it seems that all reasons behind ERP implementation have
economic an angle. Indeed, looking at issues of business process
standardisation across an enterprise, centralised
control,routinization , automation, formalisation of business
structures, business process re-engineering - all look at the
economic aspects of the enterprises. That is, how top management
and shareholders would increase their revenue.
6. Introduction
ERP systems are innovations that should be at the centre of
fostering innovation, creativity and opportunities. However this
can only be realised if there is freedom. While there a varied
discussions of what constitutes freedom, we restrict our
discussions to openness, transparency, collaboration, choice and
access.
7. Question 1- Over Dependency?
Have you ever asked yourself where the decision making ability
of individuals go when they sit in front of a system and tell you
"the system as refused?" Is this a manifestation of the
dehumanising effects of the excessive control and business process
standardization that otherwise rational beings are reduced to
indecisive objects?
8. Question 2 Scientifically everything?
We all know that most if not all ERP systems are designed using
abstract science and scientific logic. In some cases, these
scientific methods may abdicate moral reasoning and rationality of
employees. For instance, to arrive at a decision, most scientific
approaches use quantitative methods. Does it mean that for all
decisions, numbers have to be used? What happens when an
individuals working on an ERP systems know that a decision arrived
at using the numbers is morally wrong yet they cannot change
them?
9. Question 3 Forced Conformance?
Related to the above two, is the forced conformance. All
individuals within an organization are forced to act in a certain
way all the time. Can we say that one way of killing individual
creativity and innovation is the implementation of an ERP?
10. Question 4 Exercising Freedom?
Do you agree with the statement in relation to ERP systems:
"The basic human freedoms you take for granted are only as free as
the technologies you use."?
11. Questions 5 Openness and Transparency?
Do you think that ERP systems increase or decrease the
transparency and openness in organizations?
12. Question 6 - Sustainability?
To what extent do you think that the current model, where ERP
systems have closed source and centralised development, is
sustainable going into the future?
13. Sources
Dillard, J. F., Ruchala, L & Yuthas, K. (2005) Enterprise
Resource Planning Systems: A Physical Manifestation of
Administrative Evil,International Journal of Accounting Information
Systems , 6:107-127