December 3, 2015 from LinkedIn – “Most SMEs and many larger companies are not experienced in running projects. It is just not something they need to do on a regular basis and certainly not with this much at stake. An investment in the services of a skilled internal Project Manager is rarely a waste of money. It will often cost you more to skimp in this area and then have to recover afterwards…” Read more 180 View – The author, a business development manager for Pronto Software, makes a number of really good comments on why implementation projects fail and […]
Demonstration Scripts
A demonstration script is critical to the selection process but there are huge differences on how to do this. Rather than criticize the techniques we have read, I will share our methodology with you: Two demonstrations – You don’t want to go too deep on the first demonstration unless you are positive that the vendor will not waste your time (or their time) 1st demonstration – We base it on a small subset of the most important requirements in the RFP and limit the time to about 3 hours. We allocate a certain amount of time to each requirement and then […]
How to measure whether an ERP implementation is successful
It’s not time to celebrate when the system goes live. Nor is it time to celebrate even if it’s on time or on budget. It’s only time to celebrate if the benefits in the business case have been realized. Ideally the benefits are in the form of a measurable metric or a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) such as the time it takes to process an order. However many organizations don’t identify these measures of success and even if they do, they promptly forget about them as soon as the implementation starts as they have enough on their plates to consume […]
Tips for Implementing Change
May 28, 2015 from ProjectManagement.com – “Organizational change management should begin with a systematic evaluation of the current state in order to determine the need for change. Organizations must also consider the appetite for change and the capability to change” Read more 180 View – The author provides 8 short and easy to read tips for implementing change. Lack of good change management can lead to disaster for even the best systems. One of the recommendations is to “Assess the capability of the organization to change.” In our opinion any project will fail if the core implementation team does not […]
I Survived an ERP Implementation – Top 10 Gems of Advice I Learned the Hard Way
November 10. 2014 from LinkedIn – “…Why is it that so many ERP implementations go so wrong? In my current role I meet regularly with ERP survivors and casualties. My best but unscientific estimate is that 90-95% of them have horror stories to share…” Read more 180 View – There is a big difference between a horror story and bumps in the road. We would agree that there always bumps in the road. What you need is someone on your team that knows how to adapt or a coach to get you through it – someone like Pat Wade from […]
Project Management for an ERP Implementation
180 Systems has now launched a new practice area. The implementation of a new system is a big project and requires skilled project managers. Our clients often don’t have a lot of experience in project management especially related to implementing new systems. The vendors have project managers but their focus is project management of their own resources rather than that of our clients. It is also possible that there are conflicting views of scope between the vendor and our clients. As project manager for our clients, we will ensure that these and any other conflicts are resolved expeditiously and fairly. […]
Why Big Projects Go Bad
June 26, 2014 from CFO – In a project’s earliest stages, very little is known about what it will take to execute it. So most companies seek out expert internal opinions — usually from proponents of the project, since they are the most knowledgeable. The problem is bias. Research is clear that project proponents are likely to fall under its influence, favor optimistic outcomes and produce dangerously inaccurate estimates. Most companies can accurately estimate small projects that may take, say, three to six months, but they are horrible at estimating the time and cost of big ones. There are three […]
BA vs IT in ERP
September 5, 2013 from Toolbox.com – “Which is more important in hiring a consultant for an ERP implementation, someone with strong information technology skills or someone who is a skilled business analyst? The ideal answer is “both”. You want someone who has the computer and technology skills to help steer the implementation and the business analysis skills to help restructure your business process… The question then, is given minimal abilities in the other area which competency is more important?” Read more 180 View – We are often asked the same thing. We would agree with the author that business analysis […]
15 Ways to Screw up an IT Project
July 17, 2013 from Computerworld – “Paul Simon famously sang that there must be 50 ways to leave your lover. Similar could be said (if not sung) regarding projects: There must be 50 ways to screw up your IT projects. Indeed, ask IT executives and project management experts, as CIO.com did, and they will rattle off dozens of reasons why projects go astray. For the sake of brevity, however, we are starting with the top 15 ways to derail a project–and how to avoid these project management pitfalls…” Read more 180 View – We liked the reference to Paul Simon […]
11 signs your IT project is doomed
May 6, 2013 from InfoWorld – “The IT world is no stranger to projects that go down in flames. In fact, anyone who has had the unenviable pleasure of participating in a failed IT effort likely sensed its demise well before the go-live date… We have gathered 11 red flags to look for in assessing IT project health. Be proactive whenever you encounter one — or if you can, simply walk away. You career depends on it…” Read more 180 View – The signs are not limited to just IT projects. Although the article is useful regarding the red flags, […]