Whats it’s all about then??

Certain things ERP Implementation teams need to be aware of:

• The implementation of a system will not completely eliminate the amount of manual work done by a user.
• A system cannot cater to the inefficiencies of people, the process is what the system looks to streamline. Like the saying goes “Junk In, Junk Out”
• Don’t expect the system to do everything that it is capable of from the very beginning itself; because it will take time for people to adjust to the new system, only after the users truly understand the importance of the system and use it in such a way, will the system begin to generate value addition to the business.
• They say it takes about a 18 months for any system to begin return on investment, but don’t take this for granted, I am sure with the right methodology this time can be reduce. Another important things to consider is that, its also a known fact that the average period of a system to be in place before it requires an upgrade is 5 years, if this is the case, then that would mean that the system would be directly contributing to the business in full throttle for 3 ½ years (5 – 1 ½).
• The system will only be as good as the people using it and the processes built into it. Typically, like a car and its driver, a bad driver could even make a merc look bumpy.

Issues to be aware of when implementing SAP (Source: AMR Research)

• Allow sufficient time after the pilot goes live to refine processes. Continue learning SAP products to resolve issues and prepare for the next phase.
• Segregate responsibilities to ensure that conflicting priorities or unnecessary tasks do not cause costly delays. Certain business processes may not be relevant until later in the project.
• Change management is a big issue. People will always resist and have conflicting initiatives, including those dedicated to the project. Get people to focus on data clean-up and conversion.
• Master data management is equally daunting. Cleansing the data, creating new data and technically migrating the data to SAP should not be underestimated.
• Complete the global blueprint before starting the pilot and be mindful of how resources are allocated. Do not complete the global blueprint while implementing the pilot site. In AMR's study, the £2.6bn firm tried doing the two things at once and ran into unnecessary angst and shifting of priorities. It also indicted that, with hindsight, the team should have considered implementing Finance and HR globally first. Being able to segment SAP functionality and decide how best to deploy it is critical.

Hope you found this post useful. 

Have a nice day!!

Rgds

Suren