Is it Really so 'Strategic'?: Motivational Factors for Investing in Enterprise Systems: A Survey

This paper presents empirical research on motivational factors for investing in Enterprise Systems (ES), based on the survey conducted among project leaders. The results show that enterprises make investments in ES mostly to increase operational efficiency, provide managers with more accurate information and, which is interesting, to be able to continue the operations on the current level. Almost one third of examined enterprises indicated the replacement of an inefficient IT infrastructure with a new one enabling smooth operation of current business processes as the most important motivational factor for investments. The results of the research presented in this paper may help to understand the productivity paradox as they prove that many enterprises treat IT as a commodity rather than a strategic asset that generates significant business gains.