Abstract Enterprise resource planning systems, if implemented successfully, can bestow
impressive strategic, operational and information-related benefits to adopting firms. A failed
implementation can often spell financial doom. Currently, most of the information about the
failures and successes are based on reports on implementations in large manufacturing and
service organizations. But enterprise resource planning vendors are now steadily turning their
marketing sights on small and medium-sized manufacturers. The time is ripe for researchers to
gather, analyze and disseminate information that will help these firms to implement their projects
successfully. This research adopts a multiple case study approach to investigate the implementation
process in small and midsize manufacturing firms in the US. The research focuses on
implementation activities that foster successful installations and are developed using information
gleaned from our field studies of four projects. Avenues for future research are also suggested.