In a pre-COVID-19 world, corporate social responsibility (CSR) transformed how organizations reported on ethical and responsible behavior to enhance their reputation and public perception. With COVID-19 quickly spreading around the world, shrinking supply chains, and limiting resources, leaders were faced with the challenge to transition workers to new environments and become agile in addressing customer demands. Entering into an unknown world, leaders took unofficial steps toward CSR practices that could lead to a strategic competitive advantage. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of organizations should reflect on the positive approaches that emerged. Just as how leaders experienced the benefits of a remote workforce resulting in increased efficiencies due to reduced commuting times with social distancing and shelterin-place mandates, the increased focus on the organization’s true capital - its human capital - may lead to a more sustainable world.

Enterprise applications are complex architectures that assist leaders of organizations to make tactical and strategic business decisions. Many of the studies in the literature review investigated the history of ERP systems, the future of enterprise applications, implementation success, ERP implementations in small and medium environments, and managerial approaches during times of organizational change. The purpose of this literature review was to analyze and synthesize previous studies as they pertain to enterprise applications.

Organizational leaders have increasingly turned to enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, also known as decision-support systems, to make their firms' operational, tactical, and strategic processes more efficient and effective in the changing global marketplace. High failure rates in ERP systems implementations make these projects risky, however. Most prior research on critical success factors for conventional ERP implementation has been on large enterprises, resulting in a gap in knowledge on these factors in the small and medium enterprises that constitute the majority of U.S. employer firms. A qualitative modified Delphi study with an expert panel of U.S. manufacturing consultants and three iterative rounds of data collection and analysis revealed consensus on 8 critical success factors in ERP implementations, with the highest agreement on top management support and commitment, enterprise resource planning fit with the organization, quality management, and a small internal team of the best employees. In addition to furthering knowledge in the fields of leadership and enterprise applications, the study expands enterprise resource planning experts' and scholars' understanding of strategies to improve project success and the triple bottom line for any size enterprise in the manufacturing industry. Practitioners in the ERP industry can also apply approaches outlined during ERP implementations to mitigate risk during these engagements. Implications for positive social change include additional job opportunities and higher wages through increased efficiencies in ERP applications.