Abstract
Recently, external factors such as the year 2000 issue and the adoption of the new European currency have been stimulating companies of any size to radically rethink their information systems. It is necessary to rapidly decide whether to modify existing applications according to the new requirements or to completely redesign the information system. In any case, this process often implies unexpected costs and allocation of resources. As a result, the need to change or renew software applications could be exploited as the chance to redesign the critical business processes as well as to implement an ERP system, in order to more effectively manage business information. The introduction of ERP systems often requires the evolution from the traditional company structure, built on business functions, to an organization based on business processes. This change usually involves significant impacts from both organizational and cultural points of view, which are rarely compatible with the peculiarities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Nonetheless, experiences from larger companies have shown the strategic and competitive advantages ERP systems can provide. Therefore, in order to allow SMEs to correctly evaluate the acquisition of ERP systems, it is necessary to consider also solutions implying lower organizational and financial impacts. According to the identification and analysis of a set of business indicators related to technological and organizational innovation, this paper presents a framework supporting the evaluation of ERP system acquisition within SMEs.