Digital Transformation Strategies and Competitive Advantage in Enterprise Resource Planning Ecosystems

Digital transformation has developed from a technology-centric issue to become a strategic component of organizational competition. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in this regard occupies a key role in the integration of organisational routines and at the same time the influence on the strategic flexibility of the organization. Despite the rich literature regarding ERP performance, the data remain somewhat fragmented, especially on the nexus of ERP-facilitated digital transformation and competitive advantage in complex institutional environments. The authors explore the long-term competitive advantage and business excellence of digital transformation strategies based on ERP in the business sector in Central and Eastern European contexts. Based on interpretative and conceptual analysis of existing literature, the study brings together themes from strategic management, enterprise architecture and digital ecosystem research. The findings suggest that ERP systems provide strategic value not just as technology devices but as organizational ecosystems whose success can be attributed to managerial capabilities, cross-functional integration, and institutional alignment. The study also emphasises the path dependence of the ERP-enabled transformation, and the role of triple-helix relations between universities, private firms and policymakers to inform capability development. This study adds to the existing literature by proposing an ecosystem-centric understanding of ERP-enabled digital transformation and clarifying the processes through which governance, learning processes and institutional collaboration contribute to producing a sustainable competitive advantage.