An ‘ERP’ Selection Framework for Construction Industry Based on FAHP

Abstract

Success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation greatly depends on selecting a system which is most aligned with companies’ requirements. Therefore, nowadays, choosing a right ERP has been weighed with serious concerns. As a broad example: Construction contractor companies are enterprises which could greatly benefit by ERP systems if the system has been chosen carefully and applied effectively. However, initial steps of ERP selection, such as ‘Requirements Recognition’ and ‘Criteria Definition’ as well as choosing a right supplier is a real challenge for the above-mentioned companies. The significance of this study is to provide a thorough survey in ERP selection as possible for the intended companies. A descriptive survey method was applied to evaluate the importance of criteria. Effective criteria in this selection were the outcome of studying relevant cases and issues. To compare the criteria and defining their priorities, two questionnaires were provided. The first one was distributed among 14 experts in management level in construction industry and were requested to compare criteria, whereas for the second questionnaire, 6 qualified IT users were selected and asked to compare alternatives. The targeted population for working on the questionnaires was selected by the outcome of census method. Finally, using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process, the most appropriate package to meet construction companies’ requirements was selected.