Factors that influence the implementation of warehouse management systems in selected South African companies

Abstract

Some global studies estimate that 30% to 60% of IT-related projects fail. However, there are several success stories where both local and international organisations have reaped great rewards after such implementations. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence the implementation of warehouse management systems (WMS) in warehousing operations in South Africa. Previous work, from other parts of the globe, has identified such critical factors and this study aims to interrogate such factors in the South African context. A conceptual framework was built through the literature review. Research data was collected from selected supply chain organisations in Gauteng through qualitative semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis. Several factors such as the non-availability of local software, the need to have local technical support, change management and the relationship with external consultants were cited as some of the key factors that influence such implementations