Implementation is all about people

Full article from CAmagazine published in October 2008

It should be no surprise that all projects depend on people not only outside, but also inside, the organization. Nevertheless, many organizations think they just need to find a system with a good fit, and they are off to the races. Unfortunately they stumble out of the starting block and sometimes never finish. What they really need is the right people at the right time.

Don’t select a new system unless you know the key people involved in your implementation. Typically the vendor or value-added reseller will assign a project manager, functional expert(s) for each main functional area and IT support. The project manager needs previous experience in managing similar projects and ideally one of his or her references should be contacted. The functional experts need knowledge not only of the system but also of the business. Ideally they have helped other organizations improve business process by leveraging their system. It’s also a good idea to check the reference on the key functional expert(s). At the very least, meet those involved before signing a contract.

Three groups of internal people are usually needed in any ERP project – a steering committee, project manager(s) and subject matter experts. The steering committee could be the management group or executive group for a small company. Larger companies will often delegate responsibility for projects to a steering committee whose members will include some members of the management or executive group. Project managers are accountable for accomplishing the stated project objectives. Subject matter experts are those involved in the day-to-day work and who can speak in detail on the existing business process and all of its problems. They are heavy users of the system and are usually considered valuable resources. You want one of these people for each main business process in scope...