Operational efficiency gains in ERP implementation through IT optimization: a multi-sector case study in Lithuanian SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly rely on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to integrate business processes and sustain competitiveness; however, ERP implementations in resource-constrained environments consistently suffer from cost overruns, deployment delays, and elevated defect rates when modern IT optimization methods are absent. This study investigates and empirically quantifies the impact of internationally recognised IT optimization strategies. A multiple-case, abductive research design was applied across three Lithuanian SMEs operating in manufacturing, services, and retail sectors. Data were collected from Jira work logs, GitLab CI/CD pipeline outputs, ERP system logs, and APM dashboards. Statistical analysis was performed using paired-sample t-tests and Cohen’s d effect-size estimation (Python 3.11/SciPy 1.11). Statistically significant improvements were observed across all three key performance indicators (p < 0.05): implementation time decreased by 46.0%, defect rates decreased by 67.0%, and staff hours per functional module decreased by 42.8%. Thematic analysis identified strong executive sponsorship, active user engagement, and institutionalised process standardisation as critical success factors. The study contributes a reproducible KPI measurement framework and a practical implementation toolkit applicable to resource-constrained organisations. Limitations include a small sample (n = 3) and context-specific Lithuanian setting, which constrain direct generalisation. Future research should replicate findings across larger, multi-country SME cohorts.