Consultant Competencies and ERP Project Success: The Mediating Role of ERP Implementation Critical Success Factors

Abstract

This study examines how consultant competencies influence ERP project success by shaping critical success factors specific to the implementation and early stabilization stages of ERP projects. Thirteen ERP implementation critical success factors and 17 consultant competencies were operationalized based on prior research. Survey data from 227 SAP consultants were analysed using multiple regression to estimate competency effects on ERP implementation critical success factors and the effects of both critical success factors and competencies on project success. The results indicate that consultant competencies affect project success primarily through critical success factors, while direct competency effects are generally weak. Software Hardware Compatibility shows the strongest positive association with project success. User Training and Software Testing are significant predictors but exhibit negative relationships, suggesting that these practices may become more salient in projects facing implementation difficulty, rework, or instability. The study extends prior ERP research by specifying a structured competency to critical success factor to success pathway that clarifies the role of consultants and helps explain mixed findings regarding training, testing, and teamwork in ERP implementations.