Benefits and disadvantages of ERP in industrialised timber frame housing in Sweden

Abstract

Industrialised timber frame housing is successful in the Swedish market for one‐family housing. In the manufacturing industry, methods and software systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) are widespread, demonstrating significant benefits. A survey of the majority of industrialised timber frame housing companies in Sweden demonstrates low ERP use with a low degree of strategic importance, but with operational and managerial benefits. The ERP approach has potential for industrialised housing and its use is favoured by an increased maturity in IT.

Keywords:

• Enterprise resource planning
• industrialised housing
• small and medium‐sized enterprises

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support from the Handelsbanken Research Foundation, through Professor Anders Segerstedt, Luleå University of Technology and valuable suggestions from the three referees.