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The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge management (KM) perspective of information technology (IT) projects based on enterprise system (ES) implementations. The study determined what knowledge is needed in each of the project phases (what for, from what sources), how this knowledge is transformed during the project (what knowledge activities are performed concerning this knowledge) and what knowledge-related artifacts are created. A KM framework for ES projects is formulated based upon the results.

The research has a qualitative exploratory design based on multiple data sources: documentation, semi-structured interviews and participant observation. A coding procedure was applied with the use of a pre-defined list of codes, as derived from KM literature regarding knowledge types, actors, project phases and activities. Open coding was used to determine the role of each type of knowledge in the implementation process.

The study examined the significance of the particular types of knowledge of each project actor across the project phases, and identified the specific knowledge activities that need to be performed for a successful outcome. In contrast to existing literature, this study also demonstrates that project management knowledge consists of two components: generic and product-related. Meta-knowledge, i.e. knowledge about other people’s knowledge was also identified as critical in the initial phases of the project. Solution knowledge was identified as the primary knowledge product. It is the result of the integration of company and product knowledge and is embedded into the system.

The limitation of this study is that it concentrated on a specific type of the IT project, namely ES implementation. The results cannot be directly extrapolated to other IT projects.

The results of the study may aid in effective staffing for ES implementations and in identifying the necessary knowledge sources. They may also enable the development of relevant KM procedures for a project.

No comprehensive project KM framework for ES has been found in the existing KM literature, and this study fills this gap in the research.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the information gathering methods used during enterprise system (ES) selection among Polish organizations and to have IT consulting experts evaluate these methods, which will result in identification of the preferred approach for the information‐gathering task during system selection.

The research has a qualitative exploratory design with grounded theory being the main research method. A mixed quantitative‐qualitative approach to data collection was used: an e‐mail‐based survey was used as an introductory stage to gather data on information‐gathering methods. The results of the survey were evaluated by ES experts during unstructured interviews. The interviews were then transcribed and coded according to the grounded theory coding techniques.

The evaluation of selection approaches revealed that the approach to information gathering should depend on the level of configurability of the systems subject to selection. Two generic approaches were identified: requirements driven – for highly configurable systems, and system functionality driven – for the systems offering limited configurability. Interaction between the customer and the bidder was also identified as the main condition for preparing the unbiased offer by the bidders.

Regarding the survey study, as the survey sample was small and the sample selection process was not random, the results should not be generalised to the whole population of Polish enterprises. It would be also beneficial to test the validity of the findings from the grounded theory study on the big population of ES bidders with the use of statistical methods.

For highly configurable systems, a model that includes a business process analysis, detailed requirements' specification and dedicated system functionality presentation is the preferred approach. A workshop is preferred to obtaining a ready requirements list. For systems offering limited configurability, an approach centred on system presentation is more suitable. In this case the requirements should be gathered during the presentation on a “gap‐fit” basis.

There is a significant lack of research that explores the selection process, with the stress on organizational needs and system functionality information gathering and makes indications for improvement of this process from the consulting enterprise (bidder) point of view. The paper fills this gap by presenting the results of a survey among Polish enterprises regarding selection routines and the evaluation of these routines by expert ES professionals, resulting in the development of the preferred set of information‐gathering methods.