ERP adoption in the hotel industry: How software implementation becomes development

Integrating operational and managerial activities, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are strategic tools to get a better market position, reduce costs and raise process efficiency and service quality. This case study aims to explore further the barriers that arise during the implementation of these systems, particularly in the hospitality industry. We found that the main reason for adopting ERP is the need for better-centralized control in a naturally decentralized network of hotel units. We also explore the difficulties in integrating different software packages and adapting the operational routines to them. As the case shows, the company bought an ERP, but it lacked essential functionality and required further and difficult integration with other software. Commercial ERPs do not yet fully meet the operational requirements of the decentralized network hospitality company. The intended implementation actually becomes a system integration development.