To say that Information Technologies (IT) are transforming business organisation is trite: it is evident that the "Information Revolution" is changing our economy. But to understand what this transformation entails for professional groups such as financial specialists is less obvious. The fundamental question addressed in our research project is this: what are the implications of the implementation of a large integrated IT system-more specifically an Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP systems)-for financial specialists? Companies believe that ERP systems enable them to resolve several information systems problems at once. These systems replace legacy systems which are expensive to maintain, thereby bypassing the millennium problem; they standardise a company's software and hardware architectures which will reduce costs; they obtain current "best business" practice encapsulated in the enterprise planning system; they are able to create standard business processes across their organisations. These are a heady set of expectations and because these developments are relatively recent, there is a paucity of careful research to assess whether these claims are matched by achievements. Our research investigates changes in the role of financial specialists triggered by the introduction of the ERP systems such as SAP/R3, PeopleSoft, Oracle and Baan IV.
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