5 ERP PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a tedious task. As we’ve discussed in pervious blogs, you’ll need a project roadmap, an organizational change management plan, and a post implementation plan that includes continuous training, support, upgrades, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success. You may feel like you’re forgetting something along the way, but worry, the ACC Software Solutions team is here to walk you through it.

Over the past 25 years, the ACC Software Solutions team has implemented hundreds on ERP solutions. We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly skipped or over-looked implementation strategies to help your implementation project plans.

Here are 5 ERP project management strategies to consider for your ERP implementation.

FOCUS. You need to have a clearly defined project scope. This includes (a) what’s in scope, (b) what’s out of scope, (c) who’s doing what, (d) your assumptions, and (e) your constraints. A clearly defined project scope allows your team to focus on the activities that have an immediate impact on the project objectives while filtering out “out of scope” work.

KNOW THE BUSINESS. How can you lead a project to generate value for a business if you do not understand the business? You may be able to perform project control/admin but you will not be able to lead a project team in their efforts. Analyzing whether your project is generating business value is difficult if you do not understand what results drive real value.

COMMUNICTE WITH YOUR TEAM. We’ve witnessed many ERP implementation fail due to unexpected scope conversations outside of project meetings – ex. water cooler discussions. So, determine a project team to guard the scope of your project.  Address and educate the entire project team on the project management basics of scope, schedule, and resources. Additionally, make the scope easy to understand so that every individual on the project team understands scope boundaries. Individual team members are your first line of defense – the project manager cannot be everywhere at once.

FOCUS ON RESULTS. Before you begin your project, be sure to set a select number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to help determine your success. These can include timelines, budgets, and ROI. Remember, goals drive projects forward, not action items. As your ERP implementation project evolves, you should start generating more goals and less action items.

CREATE AND PROMOTE TRUST. Again, this follows along the same guidelines as communication with your team. End-users should be comfortable, and confident with the new software. Build a plan that promotes trust amongst your team – open communication is the key.

BE ADAPTABLE. Do not confuse a plan with execution. A project plan is a simplified model of reality based upon many factors whose definition will further elaborate during the project. Change will occur – be flexible and adaptable to reach the desired goals. A process supports achieving the desired results.

Effective project management must be more than coordination and control – it must include enablement and leadership. Always keep the end goal in sight and on the minds of your project team.

Contact the ACC Software Solutions team to begin your ERP journey today!!