Summary
In recent years the deployment of standard business application software (SAS) in companies has strongly increased. However, there are not few people who argue that cost savings due to the use of standard products have involved restrictions concerning the set of possible organizational options and restrict the range of feasible competitive advantages. This paper investigates these theses by the example of the Siemens AG. It is shown that the use of SAS is not appropriate for all the problems under consideration. But if there is a situation that justifies the use of SAS, then one can recognize a differentiation potential in form of the depth and breadth of use as well as the speed of implementation. Furthermore, it is shown that certain restrictions concerning the organizational scope of action are actually present, but similar restrictions appear if individual software is used. In addition we show that by means of standardization a firm can reach significant cost savings for company wide processes like human resources or consolidation.
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Keil, C., Lang, C. Standardsoftware und organisatorische Flexibilität. Schmalenbachs Z betriebswirtsch Forsch 50, 847–862 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03371536
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03371536