Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

4.2 Description of feral systems
Sharina Tajul Urus, Alemayehu Molla and Say Yen Teoh
Thirty interviews were conducted across all departments that used SAP system in the three case
companies (A, B and C). We found the feral systems mainly in the finance departments of each case
organisation. Examples are extensive use Microsoft Excel in all three cases, Invoice Tracking System
(Case A), and Online Bank Reconciliation (Case A) .Below we describe each of these feral systems.
4.2.1 Use of information technology
A number of instances of Microsoft Excel use have been found in all three cases to overcome either
the limitation or the shortcoming of ERP system in areas such as preparation of petty cash, cashbook
and creditor listing and report customisation. For example, a Buyer in the Supply Chain Management
department of case A heavily relies on Excel to produce customised reports. An Executive from the
Engineering and Service department of Case A describes how the existing legitimate system is
unable to provide detailed report. That’s why Excel is used to supplement reporting functionalities of
the ERP system:
“You cannot generate report from SAP. The SAP purpose is mainly to key in the data
and also attach the report, so that other people could use it for future reference. You can
just click this button (in excel) to know the history, let’s say on the equipment failure and
then, you key-in into the SAP [...]. SAP is a system where you can gather all the
information that you have and store in one particular system. However, detail reports
need to be done separately, in Excel or others.” (E3)
In some other cases, excel is used to duplicate the work in SAP. For example, the Assistant Manager
of Finance department in Case C indicated that their use of Excel instead of SAP to prepare Journal
Voucher duplicates the function of SAP. Another example from Case C is in the area of petty cash
preparation.
“I try to reduce the duplication of my work. It is quite difficult since I need to prepare in
excel, then I need to compile the SAP report and check whether it is the same or not.
What I meant with the duplication is referred to the redundancy of the work. Like, for
Petty Cash claim, when I receive the claim from our staff, I need to post it into excel
immediately. I do not need to compile it until end of the month. Then, I need to check
petty cash from excel whether it tale with the system (SAP).” (S25)
Microsoft excel is also used to supplant the function of ERP system. An example is the creditors
ageing used by the Purchasing and Vendor department of Case C. Although the creditor ageing is
usually generated through SAP system, in this department, the clerk prepares her own creditors
ageing in Excel, which leads to two versions of truth.
“We use excel to monitor the supplier status. Yes, we can use SAP for that purpose but
we need to go through various report but in excel, I use colour code (from the excel
template) to make it easier to identify [...]. From what I know, the creditors ageing from
the system do not provide me with detail analysis. For example, what is the actual
problem with the specific Purchase Order or why it is hanged?” (C30)
4.2.2 Invoice tracking system
Invoice Tracking System is another example of feral information system found in Case A. An
individual from the Finance Department developed this system. The system has been in use since
2005 and was developed for the purpose of tracking and monitoring vendors’ payment. Either the IT
Department Unit or SAP Business Support Unit, or Corporate Information Development Unit of Case
A. did not sanction the creation and use of this system. Thus, IPerintis is not responsible in the
maintenance and upgrading of the Invoice Tracking System. Like Bank Reconciliation, the system
duplicates a functionality of SAP, specifically, that of invoice parking:
“Invoice Tracking System is used to monitor outstanding payments to vendors. So,
whenever, there are invoices yet to be approved, we put them there. There is a similar
function in SAP for tracking invoices (M1)
Clerks from Finance and Planning Department key-in invoice details in the Invoice Tracking System
while at the same time ‘parking’ the same invoice in the SAP system. They do this process
simultaneously. An executive of Finance and Planning department explains this:
461