Vision 2030 of Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (CERPS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi businesses rely on effective data management to trade along their internal and external supply (value) chains and must continually monitor and upgrade legacy data systems. To understand these processes, this study explores the experiences of six diverse Saudi firms as case studies: an air transport data system, vertical integration of global firms' subsidiaries, a value chain system, and entrepreneurs taking advantage of cloud opportunities. Rather than following the literature in focusing on the decision making steps to upgrade organizational data-based resources, this research considers how the firms integrated cloud technologies with their existing or new business models. The case studies were conducted post-implementation of cloud data projects to qualitatively assess the expectations of owners and executives of firms from their initiatives.

Overall, the findings were that firms' experiences when online resulted in better integration with upstream international suppliers, greater cost control, and adapted and new business model advantages. Of the cases, two retailers and an intermediary/retail stationer used their new cloud-based data resources by expanding to online sales platforms. The largest firm was able to use its industry leadership to develop online data integration with firms through its value chains. The remaining firms were more circumspect. The data infrastructure firm merely formed a cloud sibling company to enhance its core business. The airline's industry data provider moved all its clients to cloud services, and the wholesaler similarly agreed to contract with its value chain's digital provider.

This paper is presented as an introduction including the purpose of the study, a short literature review, methodology, results, comparative analysis, and conclusions. There was insufficient opportunity to provide a detailed discussion placing the cases into previous findings, although this empirical study is focussed on cloud migration outcomes rather than change factors.