I have completed more than a hundred ERP implementations throughout my career – and have had countless victories and losses. I would like to offer the following tips to help you achieve a successful implementation.
1) Management Involvement
Despite the temptation to keep it hands-off, management should take an active part in the implementation projects. Where possible we recommend having a project team which includes members of senior management. This will not only assist in staff sticking to deadlines but it will also help with decision making to keep the project moving.
2) Communication
Make sure everyone within the project team is kept up to date with the progress of the project. If possible, schedule a date to give a progress update on a weekly basis. The biggest mistake organisations make when implementing IT Projects is that users find out about the project on go-live date. This can be avoided through simple communication from the first day of the project and throughout its progress.
3) Focus on Main Business Processes First
One of the major causes of project failure is scope creep. Make sure you don’t get side tracked by trivial processes that some business users introduce. Focus on the critical business processes then build exceptions. Identify the critical success factors of the project and make sure they are sorted.
4) Testing is important
The biggest mistake that most businesses make is not allocating enough time for internal users to do testing and leaving it all to the IT Consultants. Make sure you allocate enough time for adequate user testing. This will save you time and money when the system goes live. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) can often reduce overall project cost by avoiding surprises. Make sure you allocate time for employees to test effectively, this will help your business realise the advantages of the new system soon after the implementation is completed.
5) Training
Training could be considered the key part of a successful implementation and ongoing use of the system. That is why you should never take shortcuts as far as training is concerned. We recommend having a team of key staff members (champions) who are effectively trained and are on hand to support fellow users when questions arise. An effective training system can raise morale among users and reduce resistance to change especially when implementing a new system.
If you are about to embark on an ERP implementation and would like to discuss our services and methodologies, Contact Us at Eagle360 Consulting.