Introduction
We are starting a new initiative to share lessons learned that we think will be useful for others based on our projects, and our focus will be on the challenges and solutions. The 1st case study is about a recent ERP implementation of Deacom from eci for our client Morrison Lamothe. Morrison Lamothe Inc. is a Canadian-owned frozen food manufacturer, specializing in frozen prepared hand-held sweet pies.
Challenges
One challenge facing all ERP implementations is that there are delays in the schedule. Our clients are not able to focus exclusively on the implementation – they have day jobs, and the implementers are juggling multiple projects. One way to make things happen more quickly is to schedule in person meetings. Although remote meetings are easy and inexpensive, there is not the same urgency and focus when the implementer is on site. So, schedule a number of onsite meetings throughout the project and get it done.
Another challenge was being forced to adopt the most recent version of Deacom shortly before go-live. Morrison Lamothe would have preferred to hold off on the update as it could cause a delay with go-live. However, with today’s use of multi-tenant architecture (one instance of software serving multiple if not all customers), which is usually considered a benefit, you don’t have the option of delaying an upgrade. We recommend negotiating the option of delaying an upgrade or at least scheduling the go-live not just before an upgrade.
One more challenge occurred in combining training with design by the implementer. It is difficult for the subject matter experts to design the to-be business process without understanding the system first. We recommend training by the core team, who will then work on design and will later train the rest of the team.
Another challenge was getting EDI to work. The client wanted to continue to use their existing EDI partner, but in the end, it made more sense to select a different partner that was already integrated with Deacom.
Finally, there were some problems along the way. There are always some problems in an ERP implementation. These should be limited because of the due diligence in the selection process, but there can be a misunderstanding or a scope change. What’s important is how the implementers deal with the problems. You want an implementation partner that will listen and take action to resolve the problems with reasonable fees for their work.
Conclusion
Morrison Lamothe went live on schedule and is happy with Deacom. There is still work to be done and a phase 2 is being planned. Phasing implementations make sense, but the selection process should consider all phases.
