A Study of the Behaviour of the Swiss SME Relating to the Adoption of an Integrated Management system.From Lack of Knowledge to Satisfaction.

In a global environment, many authors affirm that integrated management tools (ERP) are indispensable to the SME. What is the situation of the Swiss SME in relation to the adoption of ERP and how do they react ? What is the profile of the Swiss SME that utilizes an ERP ? Our research is empirical. The statistical analysis of the answers from approximately seven hundred SME's from the Swiss secondary and tertiary sectors reveals new information on the behaviour of Swiss SME's with regard to the integrated management tools that are the ERP. Thanks to this study, we can also define the profile of the Swiss SME that utilizes an ERP and provide new data on the ERP implementation projects (costs, number of employees involved, rate of success, ).