Overview
The Acceptance Model (TAM) is a model that was developed to make it easy for people to adopt and accept new technology without resistance in organizations (Pearlson, 2013). TAM was developed by Prof. Fred Davies and it contains four basic essentials including perceived usefulness which is factor that if technology was adopted then it would make work easy.
The TAM was designed with many essentials that would convince employees and make them change their attitudes or behaviours towards technology. Some of the factors that are critical in the analysis of the TAM include individual differences, system characteristics, social influence and facilitating conditions (Grant, 2010).
These are the conditions that will affect the implementation and adoption of the ERP systems within the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Singapore. The intended ERP system runs on different technologies and it includes different modules within several software suites (Khosrowpour, 2011).
Based on the TAM model, individual differences such as skills and age would affect the implementation of this ERP system since it would be deployed on a large scale with multiplicity of individual differences. Moreover, the system that will be deployed will be huge in terms of modules covered and this will provide complexity to the users of the system (Heijden, 2009).
Many people working with the Ministry of Manpower have interacted with systems from different suppliers and vendors. However, the ERP system that is going to be deployed by the MOM has never been used in the region and this will provide a challenge to employees to cope with the new technology (Clarke, 2012).
Social influence is one of the factors that usually affects the adoption and implementation of technology. In this case, if employees of the MOM Singapore interact and accept to make use of the system then adoption of the ERP system will be easy. Since, the implementation of this ERP system will be of great use in the region, the stakeholders in this project will ensure that all necessary support will be availed to the project (Pearlson, 2013).
Making use of the staff as facilitators in the undertaking of this project will ensure that everyone becomes a team player in undertaking this ERP implementation project. Stakeholder’s support for such a huge project in most cases leads to the development of solutions that will ensure the successful implementation of such projects.
Recommendations
In the process of implementing the ERP system by MOM Singapore, it is prudent to ensure that certain procedures are followed in the implementation process. One of the measures that will ensure that the ERP gets full acceptance is to conduct training to staff who will implement the system. Training is important since it ensures that staff get used to the working of the system in relation to their assigned duties.
ERP systems do not work in a predetermined manner and therefore implementation through training ensures that staffs get to understand the system very well (Grant, 2010). One of the best means of ensuring software or technology acceptance is through in-house support and system modification.
Suppliers of the ERP system should work in collaboration with staff in ensuring that ERP system is suited to their needs. As a result, having suppliers’ system developers working hand in hand with system administrators of MOM Singapore will ensure that the ERP gets acceptance within the organization (Heijden, 2009).
References
Clarke, S. (2012). Information Systems Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Boston, MA: Pelshiver.
Grant, K., Hackney, R. & Edgar, D. (2010). Strategic Information Systems Management. New York, NY: Routledge.
Heijden, H., Govardus J. & Heijden M. (2009). Designing Management Information Systems. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre.
Khosrowpour, M. (2011). Cases on Strategic Information Systems. London: Ladybird Publishing.
Pearlson, K. & Saunders, C. (2013). Strategic Management of Information Systems (4th ed). Chicago, IL: John Wiley and Sons.