Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

Gunilla Myreteg
used, which in turn makes learning possible. In order for this to come about, however, the user has to
enter the current, valid data into the data base.
5. Conclusions and discussion
The present article shows that the notion of an ERP system as part of the organizational memory
proved to be helpful to explain how an ERP system is involved in the process of creating, using, and
maintaining a purposeful data base in an organization. Possibilities are easily pointed out, such as the
effect of increased access to information. The obstacles to usage are however in more need of
explanation.
The present analysis showed how the technical design may cause an insurmountable obstacle to
performing the necessary search and retrieval of needed information. On the other hand, several
problems related to questions of where a certain data routine would be found and how it should be
worked, which was linked to acquisition and retention, were found to be passing problems. Some
early problems disappear as users get acquainted to the structure of an ERP system. An important
issue, however, is the aspect of maintenance of information. An ERP system has the technical
possibility to store information for a very long time. Unfortunately, the system does not discriminate
between high and low quality data, but will also store incorrect data forever.
The implication of missing or incorrect data may lead to the inability to use an ERP system’s
automatic routines, such as scheduling of orders, or planning of utilization of resources such as
machinery and man-time; functionality that carry great promises to the firm. Furthermore, missing or
incorrect data may cause discussion, conflicts and frustration among users. For example, erroneous
data concerning budgeted time for operations in production will mislead employee performance
evaluations, and may falsely show people to be underachieving. Costing and pricing will be difficult to
perform, and profitability estimations of products and orders will be ambiguous, and difficult to
interpret. Learning is obstructed, since it is unclear what operations and tasks are well carried out or
not. It will not be obvious what activity should be routinized and what activity would need to be
changed.
After the implementation, users in the case company experienced many changes: the interface was
new, as were the functionality and the handling of data; even were quite a few of the descriptions of
work processes and work tasks experienced as new to the users. Confusion was great, and everyone
tried to orientate oneself. Not yet two months after the kickoff, the CFO said, with a mixture of
desperation, laughter and resignation: “it’s difficult to know for sure if things are better than before, but
at least they are different!” (December 2004). After reading the story of ABG and the following
analysis, it is not unreasonable to react by surprise. It is almost incredulous that this situation is
allowed to continue in a firm. This example disrupts our image of the effective, modern organization.
However, we should remember that practise is a mish-mash of interrelated influences (Scapens,
2006), that all decisions in a firm are carried out in situations of incomplete information (Simon, 1979),
and that earlier experiences made by actors are important for us to understand what is going on there
today.
Since people in the case had been used to incomplete and incorrect data, they were used to making
decisions without putting too much trust in information they could retrieve from the information
system. Experience and intuition had a strong hold upon decision makers, since such abilities were of
great value in making wise decisions. The imperfections of decision making, the lack of respect
among organizational members towards IT usage, and the limited possibilities of getting sufficient
support from the information system were in this case considered to be a poor tradition that
management wanted to change. The case however illustrates how management need to understand
that the ERP system per se does not create and maintain an efficient information usage. Managers
and users need to consciously plan the usage of the ERP system as part of the organizational
memory in order to utilize the potential benefits of the system.
References
Anand, V., Manz, C.C. and Glick, W.H., (1998) “An Organizational Memory Approach to Information
Management”, The Academy of Management Review, Vol 23, No. 4, pp 796-809.
Chapman, C.S., (2005) “Not because they are new: Developing the contribution of enterprise resource planning
systems to management control research”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol 30, No. 7-8, pp 685-
689.
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