What’s the Best Approach to ERP Implementation and Project Management?

As an ERP consulting agency, Apagen has guided manufacturers with project administration management for a whole lot of enterprise software program initiatives through the years.

Because of this, we all know that competent mission managers coupled with a proven methodology are the important thing to a profitable enterprise software program implementation.

Conversely, insufficient mission management practices and inexperienced resources are proven root causes for the failed implementations we've seen and subsequently rescued.

Survey Findings

A current ERP implementation survey confirms this attitude and tells the complete story.

Apagen's Consultants commissioned researchers from Mint Jutras to conduct a survey of greater than 300 producers and distributors, specializing in the success of their ERP implementations by way of schedule, value and ROI (Return on Investment).

The survey, titled The Real Facts about ERP Implementations, reviewed objectives and expectations, whether or not or not they had been achieved, and why.

The survey revealed that causes for implementation success needed to do with individuals, course of and efficient mission administration – not simply software program. Key success elements embody mission group and alter administration, that are on the core of a mission administration method.

Reasons for lack of implementation success embody insufficient mission planning – as soon as once more the hallmark of efficient project administration.

Effective Project Management and ERP Implementation

When the simplest method to project administration and ERP implementation, observe that project administration is an integrative endeavor, the place each action, or failure to behave, can have an effect on your possibilities of success.

Key necessities of efficient mission administration are as follows:

• The mission supervisor assigned to the ERP mission needs to be skilled and have a portfolio of a number of initiatives like yours.
• Your project supervisor ought to have a monitor report of main profitable enchancment initiatives, enterprise software program selection actions, enterprise software program implementations and organizational change administration initiatives with referenceable prospects and measurable outcomes.
• Consider structuring an enterprise mission administration workplace (PMO) that studies on to a govt steering committee. This method is paramount for managing assets and the mission plan.
• In addition to having a skilled mission supervisor, the PMO ought to embody group members from throughout the enterprise who're accountable for the project’s success.

An Implementation Partner or a Transformation Partner?

When producers and distributors flip to Apagen for project administration of an ERP implementation, they profit as a result of our group is in control on the group’s future state wants.

When Apagen guides enterprise software program choice, our group is already embedded with key assets and features as a change associate as a substitute of a software program delivery supplier.

More than guiding the implementation alone, Apagen acts as a change associate by capturing the advantages of the brand new technology, which we establish through the enterprise course of enchancment and selection phase.

The full transformation process continues after implementation the place we search to confirm completion of serious Opportunity Matrix gadgets together with Roadmap planning / Business Releases.

Apagen allocates solely the staffing wanted to make sure all essential implementation deliverables are lined – pushed by a joint work-split evaluation through the Selection Phase.

Comparing Approaches to Project Management

When evaluating approaches to project administration and ERP, it's helpful to checklist out the varied approaches obtainable to the ERP project group.

We encounter three primary implementation methods in our engagements: utilizing a software vendor, utilizing a third-party service, and utilizing inside DIY resources.

> Using a Software Provider for ERP Implementation

Using a software program vendor for ERP implementation is a typical method within the market. But the method has its limitations.

While the software program vendor is aware of the technology and its performance, the seller is simply centered on the software program implementation. Vendors, as a rule, don't interact in any enterprise process enchancment or transformation actions nor do they uncover alternatives for process change discovered through the BPI and Selection Phases.

Moreover, distributors don't all the time cowl all parts needed for a profitable implementation – many implementation dangers happen in areas that distributors don't evaluate of their implementation methodology.

> Using a Third-Party Implementation Service

Much like software program distributors, third-party implementation companies usually focus solely on the software program implementation.

They often lack a powerful mission administration functionality, a sturdy methodology and a background in enterprise course of enchancment/technology choice alternative evaluation outcomes.

Apagen has typically encountered third-party implementation companies that lack the complete data of a vendor’s software program, which implies the seller must be concerned within the implementation anyway.

> Using “DIY” Internal Resources

It is uncommon certainly to come across a producing or distribution group that has enough staffing to run a profitable end-to-end implementation with out exterior help and experience.

Using a DIY method leaves the corporate open to essential dangers, together with problem figuring out appropriate inside skillsets, incapacity to employees inside assets already allotted on different initiatives, and no clear profession path obtainable to the interior group after mission completion

Other points with a DIY method contain lack of inside methodology that covers all work streams to realize a low-risk mission, and an absence of the power to handle the extra technical actions of the software program vendor.

Apagen has been referred to as upon many occasions to rescue producers taking up an inside enterprise know-how implementation mission.