eThesis - School of Business electronic theses

The objective of this study is to expand the understanding of implementation process of an Enterprise Content Management System and to discover the short-term benefits of such an implementation process in an SME organization.

A single case study method was conducted on a Finnish SME organization working in real asset management business. The study used qualitative research methods such as semi-structured interviews and direct observation. Direct observation was used mostly in the system implementation phase, as interviews provided information concerning the post-implementation use, problems and benefits.

The major findings are divided into two groups concerning first the implementation process and secondly the short-term benefits. Since only one research concerning implementation process in a SME organization was found from prior literature, this thesis presents a practical model how an SME organization has implemented an ECMS. In relation to the post-implementation benefits the four key findings fall into four distinctive themes: difficulty of managing content life cycle, too much time spent on finding information, problem of "x-cation" and the lack of organizational standards.

In terms of theoretical contributions, two major issues became evident. First, this study complements the earlier research on ECMS benefits as three out of four main concerns prior to the implementation could be seen improved already shortly after implementation. Secondly, since only one study from prior literature was found focusing on SME organization's ECMS implementation process, this study provides another practical process view on ECMS implementation as a whole in a SME organization.

The most important limitation of this study is its limited scope, since the study was conducted as a single case study with limited amount of interviewees. As a suggestion for future research, a similar type of approach conducted as a multiple case study with several SME organizations would ensure more comprehensive results as well as more reliable practical suggestions.