Multiple methods were used to colle

Multiple methods were used to collect data for this study. These methods
included direct observation by two of the authors who were academic observers
for the projects from the project initiation stage. The authors were given free
access to historical documents and other records including financial data, and
non-personnel related operations statistics. The authors were also allowed to sit
in on regularly scheduled project-team meetings. Ongoing, open-ended
interviews were also held with corporate officers, divisional managers,
project-leaders, super-users, consultants and various project team members
both during and after the implementation of the ERP projects. These interviews
permitted the project participants to identify and frame the important issues and
factors that affect ERP implementation success as suggested in Maffei and
Meredith (1995). This approach is consistent with the recommendation that, in an
area where theory is relatively undeveloped, researchers should use an inductive
approach to the process of identifying issues for inclusion in the study