Analysing the factors responsible for effectiveness of implementation and integration of enterprise resource planning systems in the printing industry

Purpose – This paper's purpose is to examine the impact of ERP adoption in one of the most traditional sectors, namely the printing industry, within a case study of five typical large‐scale printing organisations set in the developing economy context of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology and the analysis motivated an interpretive approach. The inductive reasoning approach has been used, since the aim was to find something new for the printing industry and to try to discover the advantages that ERP could bring about for the industry. In this research study, semi‐structured interviews were conducted along with a number of visits to the targeted printing firms selected as being prototypical of the sector in this business environment. The research questions focused on identifying and exploring the benefits related to ERP for the printing industry, and why it was needed. Findings – The research shows that all the functional categories identified in the literature for ERP can be introduced in the printing industry. However, within each category, not all its modules can be adopted for this industry. The research has also shown that the benefits of some areas of ERP are still to be understood by the stakeholders. Practical implications – The enterprises under study now have an opportunity to look into ERP solutions as the basis also for first‐mover advantage within their sector. Originality/value – There has been one previous attempt in Pakistan to restructure the largest printing press by introducing SAP, which failed due to lack of technical expertise and training support. This paper draws on the successful approaches deployed in ERP implementations in other sectors and examines the extent to which they can be adapted for the printing industry, for example which modules should be prioritised for integration and how to optimise their impact.