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Customization Challenges in Legacy ERP Systems for British Firms

This study explores how two British firms, Cable and Home, customized legacy ERP systems in the late 1990s to align with their unique business needs, the reasons for customization, implications for maintenance and future upgrades, and the impact on operations.

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Customization Challenges in Legacy ERP Systems for British Firms

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  1. ERP Customization Two British firms B. Light, Journal of Software Maintenance and Evolution: Research and Practice (2001)

  2. Cable • International firm • made and sold copper cable • Inherited many legacy systems • Late 1990s: • 10 manufacturing systems • 13 sales systems • 15 purchasing systems • 5 planning systems • 18 finance systems • 18 personnel systems

  3. Legacy Systems • Often conflicted • Incompatible platforms

  4. Reasons Cable Customized Intended to be as close to vendor as possible • Cable lengths didn’t fit vendor setup • Delayed system delivery 5 months • Copper inventory price varied daily • Modified – future software upgrades would require customization • Shop floor control reporting screens cluttered • Had to develop interface tool • Each sales order required dispatch notes • Had to develop interface tool

  5. Reasons Cable Customized 5. Sales order documents had to be customized • Subsequent acquisitions led to revisions 6. Changes in labels requested • Requests denied to avoid future customization • Inventory reports lacked key information • Considerable effort to create new reports

  6. Cable • If adopt vendor system • Still can expect significant modifications • Sometimes users won (system modified) • Sometimes system won (users lived with limitations) • Impact of future upgrades always a threat • Reason not to modify

  7. Home • British retailer • 20 outlets • Very fragmented legacy systems • Adopted ERP to: • Integrate systems • Avoid data entry duplication • Replace some manual systems

  8. Maintenance Implications • Pricing based on travel distance – millions of prices • Customization not supported by service agreement • Addresses key – updates not easy to apply • Fixes caused future upgrade problems • Used many shipping firms, self-billing • Function not supported by ERP - customized • Embedded ERP dispatching led to data duplication • Customization not supported by service agreement

  9. Home 5. Corporate documents modified • Upgrades would require heavy redevelopment 6. Many ERP screens modified • Required careful documentation for future upgrades 7. Many control reports (908) developed for exceptions • Upgrades would require future revision

  10. Implications • Changes to ERP vendor system: • Time consuming • Have maintenance implications in future • Key performance indicators can be obtained • Lead to increased maintenance

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