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Towards Sustainable ERP Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Current Capabilities and Future Potential

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Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2023, Volume 4 (FTC 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 816))

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Abstract

This study examines the readiness of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for supporting and advancing sustainability initiatives and practices in organizations. The study aims to identify the current state-of-the-art of sustainability capabilities and functionalities in ERP systems, as well as explore the future directions of the ERP market. The main research question the study aims at answering is, are current ERP systems ready to support sustainability initiatives? This research employs the Dynamic and Sustainable View of the Firm and the Triple Bottom Line frameworks as theoretical lenses. These lenses underscore the importance of integrating economic, social, and environmental sustainability aspects to establish a competitive advantage. An exploratory case study with semi-structured interviews was conducted and the informants included a variety of ERP industry professionals and an end-user. The informants revealed the various stakeholders’ perceptions and views on the sustainability phenomenon within the Norwegian ERP market. Our main findings suggest that the current capabilities of ERP systems fall short of meeting the need for sustainability-related functionalities, indicating a gap that presents opportunities for innovation in developing more advanced systems. Additionally, conflicting views exist on who drives innovation in the ERP market, clients, vendors, or the government. Although the research and practice of sustainable ERP are still in their early stages, our findings reveal that the overall requests to incorporate sustainability functionalities within ERP systems are on the rise. Finally, our data suggest that emerging business models rooted in sustainability principles highlight the urgency for ERP systems to evolve and adjust accordingly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway

    Chantel Raniin Backer, Milou Slaman, Moutaz Haddara & Marius Langseth

Authors
  1. Chantel Raniin Backer
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  2. Milou Slaman
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  3. Moutaz Haddara
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  4. Marius Langseth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marius Langseth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga, Japan

    Kohei Arai

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Backer, C.R., Slaman, M., Haddara, M., Langseth, M. (2023). Towards Sustainable ERP Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Current Capabilities and Future Potential. In: Arai, K. (eds) Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2023, Volume 4. FTC 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 816. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47448-4_16

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