Does the standardization of business processes improve management ? The case of ERP-Systems

The Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) knows a real success in companies and their implementation causes a change in their management information system and especially a reconsideration of management procedures within the organization. Henceforth, the ERP systems are considered as tools of normalization and standardization of multinational firm’s business processes. They propose rich functionalities, based on the best practices. «ERP-System meets the requirements of universality : each one works in his language and every body can be understood» (Mourlon & Neyer, 2002). The introduction of ERP-Systems in organizations leads to a standardization of business processes so waited by organizations to help them to set the foundations for an international system and to assist them in their strategy of globalization. Nevertheless, this standardization of cultures can not produce the expected effects. The implementation of an ERP-System aims to change the organization but this process is risked (Besson, 1999). So, what are the effects of this standardization caused by ERP-Systems on the organizations ? This article aims to develop a reflection about this question according to a study of three firm’s cases (Airports of Paris, Pechiney and Loréal). So, we present, first, the concept of ERP. Second, we expose the potentialities of standardization of this tool and finally we conclude on the effects of this standardization according to the various theoretical approaches of the relationship between ICT and organizational change.