Understanding Limited Enterprise Systems Benefits in Government: An African Case

Enterprise systems (ES) are increasingly being used in government. Yet the benefits being realized are lower than anticipated and rarely match the level of investment. Post-implementation is when, through usage, benefits are realized and yet it is the ES phase researched the least. Hence there is little understanding of why benefits are limited in government departments. Therefore, this study aimed to answer the question ‘Why are limited ES benefits realized in government?’ The case studies chosen were in the government of an African developing country. Data included semi-structured interviews and secondary data. The explanatory model, inductively derived, reveals no ES benefits management processes in the cases. Low usage and limitations in their ES were predominantly due to the limited IT support post-implementation although limitations with the initial implementation project were raised. The root causes of limited benefits are organizational constraints within the government departments and poor consultant knowledge transfer.