ABSTRACT

Purpose

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a technological tool which improves and eases B to B communication and reinforces business relationships as well as business-to-business (B to B) marketing. Based on a teleological lens in B to B relationships between ERP sellers and ERP buyers, the research objective of this study is to frame static and dynamic time-frames in the ERP implementation process in B to B markets. The aim is to shed light on the consideration of time-periods (i.e. past, present and future) as either tatic or dynamic in the implementation process of complex service solutions, such as ERP, in a B to B marketing setting.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is conducted with respect to Spanish companies focusing on the first main pre-implementation, first main implementation and first main post-implementation process of ERP software solutions in B to B markets. This study embraces a multi-method design consisting of the four phases. It enables data triangulation through in-depth structured interviews in a follow-up study, so as to validate the results.

Findings

Reports static and dynamic time-periods through a teleological lens in the implementation process of ERP in B to B market of the Spanish healthcare industry. This study indicates that more than half of the ERP buyers were not entirely satisfied, after finalizing the ERP implementation process. Subsequently, less than half of them received only a software solution and the rest considered they had received merely a somewhat adapted software solution. Furthermore, only one out of ten confirmed that the software solution obtained was a fully adapted solution beyond the ERP buyers’ expectations and truly taking into account their needs. This study also reveals that there are still some ERP implementation processes indicating that the seller does not take into account the needs of the buyer at all. Altogether, the findings indicate that the B to B marketing process is often not satisfactory. It is widely known that the ERP is a standardized tool that requires adaptation of the ERP software solution to the buyer’ in B to B markets.

Research limitations/implications

The combination of static and dynamic considerations of time with formative, rationalist and transformative teleological lenses outline and distinguish between various strategies for handling the ERP pre-implementation process, the ERP implementation process and the ERP post-implementation process in B to B marketing. We contend that another core research implication in B to B marketing, taking into consideration static and dynamic time-periods through the teleological lens, addresses the need to match the ERP seller perspective with that of the ERP buyer. A mismatch may turn out unsatisfactorily for both the ERP seller and the ERP buyer. It is therefore crucial in the B to B marketing strategy that there be a balance between flexibility and adaptations of the ERP seller to the expectations and experiences of the ERP buyer in the ERP implementation processes in B to B markets.

Managerial implications

Offers opportunities for companies to apply B to B marketing strategies through visualizing in advance the cost and risk associated with an ERP implementation. Furthermore, this study enables the framing of other complex service implementation processes such as the ERP software solution. A core managerial implication of the results reported in this study to B to B marketing is the need to distinguish between static and dynamic, using the time-periods in the ERP implementation. The ERP seller needs to align its strategy of B to B marketing with its consequences from the ERP pre- and post-implementation processes. Another core managerial implication is that the static and formative use of time entails less costs initially. It enables the ERP seller to obtain benefits within a short time-frame. However, the ERP seller may have to face a dissatisfied ERP buyer at the end of the implementation process. Subsequently, the risk of the relationship disruption is high, so that this strategy of B to B marketing has a short-time orientation, based on targeting many ERP buyers and devoting less effort to each of them (by the ERP seller). In the case of the dynamic and rationalist use of time-periods, the ERP seller has chosen a strategy of B to B marketing with the ERP buyer that can turn out satisfactorily. However, the initial costs are higher than when the static consideration of time is used because the ERP seller needs more resources, expertise and skills to visualize the end of the implementation process taking into account the actual requirements.

Originality/value

Frames static and dynamic time-periods which influence the B to B marketing strategy used in the implementation process of ERP in the healthcare industry. The teleological lens applied in this study contributes to contextualizing as marketing B to B tool the ERP implementation process as being either past-based (formative), present-based (transformative) or future-based (rationalist).

中文翻译：

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在企业资源计划实施过程中通过目的论镜头构建静态和动态时间段

摘要

目的

企业资源规划 (ERP) 是一种技术工具，可改善和简化 B 对 B 的沟通，并加强业务关系以及B 对 B ( B to B) 营销。基于 ERP 卖家和 ERP 买家之间 B to B 关系的目的论视角，本研究的研究目标是构建 B to B 市场 ERP 实施过程中的静态和动态时间框架。目的是阐明在 B 对 B 营销环境中复杂服务解决方案（例如 ERP）的实施过程中对时间段（即过去、现在和未来）的考虑是静态的还是动态的。

设计/方法/方法

本研究针对西班牙公司进行，重点关注B 对 B 市场中 ERP 软件解决方案的首次主要预实施、首次主要实施和首次主要实施后流程。本研究采用由四个阶段组成的多方法设计。它通过后续研究中的深度结构化访谈实现数据三角测量，以验证结果。

发现

在 ERP在 B to B 市场的实施过程中，通过目的论镜头报告静态和动态时间段西班牙医疗保健行业。这项研究表明，在完成 ERP 实施过程后，超过一半的 ERP 购买者并不完全满意。随后，不到一半的人只收到了一个软件解决方案，其余的人认为他们只收到了一个稍微经过调整的软件解决方案。此外，只有十分之一的人确认获得的软件解决方案是完全适应的解决方案，超出了 ERP 购买者的预期，并真正考虑到了他们的需求。本次研究还表明，仍有一些ERP实施过程表明卖方根本没有考虑到买方的需求。总之，调查结果表明 B 对 B 营销过程通常并不令人满意。在 B 对 B 市场。

研究限制/影响

对时间的静态和动态考虑与形成性、理性主义和变革性目的论镜头相结合，概括并区分了处理 B 对 B 营销中 ERP 实施前过程、ERP 实施过程和 ERP 实施后过程的各种策略。我们认为 B 对 B 营销的另一个核心研究意义，通过目的论考虑静态和动态时间段，解决了将 ERP 卖方的观点与 ERP 买方的观点相匹配的需要。对于 ERP 卖方和 ERP 买方而言，错配可能都不尽如人意。

管理意义

哦通过预先可视化与 ERP 实施相关的成本和风险，为公司提供应用 B to B 营销策略的机会。此外，这项研究可以构建其他复杂的服务实施流程，例如 ERP 软件解决方案。本研究报告的结果对 B 对 B 营销的核心管理含义是需要区分静态和动态，使用 ERP 实施中的时间段。ERP 卖方需要将其 B 对 B 营销策略与 ERP 实施前和实施后流程的结果保持一致。另一个核心管理含义是，静态的和形成性的时间使用最初需要较少的成本。它使 ERP 卖家能够在短时间内获得收益。然而，在实施过程结束时，ERP 卖方可能不得不面对不满意的 ERP 买方。随后，关系中断的风险很高，因此这种B to B营销策略具有短期导向性，基于针对许多ERP买家并且对每个ERP买家投入较少的精力（由ERP卖家）。在动态和理性使用时间段的情况下，ERP 卖方选择了与 ERP 买方的 B to B 营销策略，结果令人满意。但是，初始成本高于使用静态考虑时间时的成本，因为 ERP 卖方需要更多的资源、专业知识和技能来可视化实施过程的结束，同时考虑到实际需求。关系中断的风险很高，因此这种B to B营销策略具有短期导向性，基于针对许多ERP买家并且对每个ERP买家投入较少的精力（ERP卖家）。在动态和理性使用时间段的情况下，ERP 卖方选择了与 ERP 买方的 B to B 营销策略，结果令人满意。但是，初始成本高于使用静态考虑时间时的成本，因为 ERP 卖方需要更多的资源、专业知识和技能来可视化实施过程的结束，同时考虑到实际需求。关系中断的风险很高，因此这种B to B营销策略具有短期导向性，基于针对许多ERP买家并且对每个ERP买家投入较少的精力（ERP卖家）。在动态和理性使用时间段的情况下，ERP 卖方选择了与 ERP 买方的 B to B 营销策略，结果令人满意。但是，初始成本高于使用静态考虑时间时的成本，因为 ERP 卖方需要更多的资源、专业知识和技能来可视化实施过程的结束，同时考虑到实际需求。在动态和理性使用时间段的情况下，ERP 卖方选择了与 ERP 买方的 B to B 营销策略，结果令人满意。但是，初始成本高于使用静态考虑时间时的成本，因为 ERP 卖方需要更多的资源、专业知识和技能来可视化实施过程的结束，同时考虑到实际需求。在动态和理性使用时间段的情况下，ERP 卖方选择了与 ERP 买方的 B to B 营销策略，结果令人满意。但是，初始成本高于使用静态考虑时间时的成本，因为 ERP 卖方需要更多的资源、专业知识和技能来可视化实施过程的结束，同时考虑到实际需求。

原创性/价值

˚F rames了影响B到ERP中的医疗保健行业在实施过程中使用乙营销策略的静态和动态的时间周期。本研究中应用的目的论镜头有助于将营销 B 到 B 工具的 ERP 实施过程情境化为基于过去（形成性）、基于现在（变革性）或基于未来（理性主义者）。