Leaving the Lights On? Exploring Cloud ERP Migrations and IS Discontinuance

As the paradigm shift from on-premise systems to cloud computing progresses, even core business systems such as ERP are being migrated to the cloud. Simultaneously, academia is showing an ever-increasing interest in researching IS discontinuance. However, little attention has been given to the combination of these two: how IS discontinuance is present with cloud ERP migrations. Based on a multiple-case study of six large companies, this study focuses on exploring the distinct factors behind the phenomenon and specifically on the replacement form of IS discontinuance. We conclude that there are specific characteristics which affect the continued use of the legacy system, but also demonstrate how the replacement process differs in this context. The results indicated that replacement through cloud ERP migration is not a sequential process, but rather parallel by nature, which may require maintaining two separate systems side-by-side for a certain period of time. The factors behind this are missing functionality in cloud ERP, voluntary legacy system continuance, data challenges and licensing lock-in, which in turn support the continued use of the legacy system.