Johani Marais, country manager of HansaWorld, states that such projects requires stringent project management, which starts with a healthy dose of realism and good project managers are typically not the most popular people in the office.
"That's because ERP projects are complex and very demanding on all who participate in them. The benefits of a good ERP solution are abundantly clear, but getting to those benefits is rarely a simple or pleasant journey," Marais says.
She is adamant that at the start of such initiatives, the project manager has to make certain allowances where especially budgets and time are concerned. "These projects tend to be lengthy; even six or eight months is a long time. Anticipate that people will get sick, the unexpected will crop up and the addition of new features or modules which were never part of the initial plan may well become necessary some way into the project."
These practical realities crop up repeatedly in enterprise projects and acknowledging them at the start means being in a position to plan execution more accurately and manage expectations.
Once the configuration and implementation of the software is underway, attention quickly turns to the quality of the data. "Despite the fact that 'Garbage in garbage out' is a widely accepted truth in the ICT industry, data is a constant problem. Not only are there routinely issues with duplicates and inconsistent formatting, but in many instances the data just isn't provided in good time," she says.
What's more, many business owners do not want to spend on two critical, yet seemingly low value activities. "These are testing and change management."
Testing depends on using the data sets, which will be processed in the production system. "Unless this is done, and done thoroughly, there really is no way of knowing how the system will perform at go-live. However, it is a neglected discipline, which many managers see as a costly inconvenience. It is not. It is a vital step," she stresses.
These necessities, which underpin project delivery, fall to the project manager to insist upon if the advantages of the new system are to become a reality. "For that reason, good project managers are not always the most favourite people. They have to be resolute; they have to make sure that everyone sticks to deadlines and milestones. They have to devise and implement change management strategies; they have to get the data and make sure it is tested."
In short, in stringently executing the necessary steps, which go from project initiation to project delivery, the project manager is likely to get on many nerves. "Certainly, a thick skin is required, as is a good deal of firm diplomacy. However, the project manager must accept that his or her gambit is not to win friends. It is to deliver successful ERP projects," she concludes.
