Improving the ERP Literature Review Methodology: a Multidimensional Approach

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a multifaceted and multidisciplinary topic undergoing continuous evolution. As a consequence, its related body of knowledge is undergoing continuous development. While a number of literature reviews have been proposed, the approaches used differ and a comprehensive analysis of the literature is still lacking. This paper introduces a novel and improved method of literature review aimed at describing the evolution of the ERP literature. In particular, using a descriptive approach, we propose a method to identify whether the literature takes into account the main stakeholders’ perspective. This is an under researched literature classification dimension, and it offers a good lens to spot gaps (for example it can be used to find out if a specific perspective dominates in a part of literature). We analyse eighteen ERP literature reviews published from 2001 to 2016 and find that two classification dimensions prevail, namely: frequency and life-cycle phases. Hence, the traditional classification is two-dimensional. In order to attain a more detailed and meaningful picture of the literature, this paper develops a richer classification scheme better suited to the multifaceted nature of the ERP systems. We consider specific ERP features and identify additional distinctive classification dimensions: the supply chain actors and a proxy of literature quality (i.e. citations per year). Our methodology builds on the traditional classification method with these new dimensions generating a multidimensional scheme, which appears more effective in the analysis of the ERP literature. Although this method is more complex than the traditional one, we develop a smart way both to summarize and to graphically represent the outcomes of the literature review. We picture the selected literature as a wall: the measures and the position of the bricks (homogeneous group of papers) in the wall depend on the frequency in the selected span, on the ERP life-cycle phase, and on the supply chain actor perspective, while the bricks robustness derives from the citation index. This method allows for an in-depth literature review, and enables us to pinpoint the literature breaches and finally to underline new and current research directions.