ERP Implementation Expert
Are you currently evaluating software for your business? Chances are that you need some help! To successfully select software you need to see from different viewpoints. The following list will help you: Checklist for packaged software selection: Investment in Research & Development: Check vendor's investment in technology and R&D on ongoing bases. This shows commitment … Continue reading ERP Selection Checklist – Never Miss Anything From This List!
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the critical phase of any ERP implementation. Project success highly relies on well planned execution of UAT. Business key users/ subject matter experts form the core project team. Typically, the core project team execute planned test cases after training by ERP consultants. As a project leader/sponsor, this is the time … Continue reading Why UAT always takes more time and budget?
Do you agree that COTS/ERP implementations makes your business mediocre at best? One of the main value propositions of the packaged software (COTS/ERP) is relatively quicker implementation. Business processes are standardised. Your business receives so called 'best practice' implementation. But is it a good thing? The so called 'best practice' is really a best practice? … Continue reading COTS/ERP Bringing Mediocrity At Best!
What is the likelihood of your project finishing on time? It depends on likelihood of the critical path tasks finishing on time. Then I ask, How you can ensure finishing critical path tasks on time? It depends on finding and eliminating bottleneck (constraint) for the critical path tasks. Then I ask, How can we eliminate … Continue reading 13 Reasons Causing Project Bottlenecks
As a Project Sponsor, you are responsible for project governance. You ensure that the project is steering in right direction. You are ultimately responsible for the business case and success of the project. Typically, more than one vendors, subcontractors, consultants are involved in ERP implementations. These resources may not have worked together before. There are strong … Continue reading How to Govern ERP Project?
ERP/COTS projects often starts with a lot of enthusiasm, planning and stage drama. Sponsors and Project managers explains the importance of the project. How this project is a game changer? How this project is different from other projects? You know what I mean.... However, projects often close with meek email, thanking everyone. One should not … Continue reading Project Closure Checklist – Close Projects With Elegance!
Google search returns over 95k results for "poor requirements". Software projects are constantly failing due to poor requirements. Here are few stats: (source: http://custom-business-software.com/cost-poor-requirements/) Often Analysis is unstructured. The outcomes of analysis are vague. Few deliverables do not cover wider scope. And others do not cover required depth. Project teams does not often share the outcome of analysis … Continue reading Three Stages of Analysis
Every project initiates with preliminary planning followed by Analysis/Design. But, why we do analysis? What is the actual purpose of requirements elicitation, documentation, identifying solution options, providing estimates and so on? Why instead of spending time on analysis, we just build the required product and iteratively improve it? Well, it may sound revolutionary idea, however, the reality is the … Continue reading Why Do We Do Analysis?
Requirements for ERP / COTS projects are documented in all shapes and sizes. There is no standard method. It is left on consultants, Business Analysts, Business Users (Subject Matter Expert) discretion. The result is - requirements are all over the place. Sometimes requirements: are collection of vague wish list are replica of existing system and processes include solution (big mistake) include … Continue reading How To Document ERP / COTS Requirements – Tell Stories
Translating Corporate objective into business initiatives is a challenging work. One of the main reason is lack of common language and visual representation of the business. For example, for the strategic objective of 'Improve Customer Experience', Sales and Warehouse heads are likely to identify different initiatives. Sales head - ‘Business needs ability to send digital catalogue to customer via email’ Warehouse … Continue reading How To Map Business Initiatives From Corporate Objective?
Our ERP is very old: Check your ERP software version. If it is ‘ancient’ version, consider option of upgrading to latest version rather than changing the ERP. Our ERP never really worked: Check if software was implemented poorly. Therefore, end-users have no choice but to get creative and device manual workarounds. There is no one … Continue reading 10 Reasons Not To Change ERP!
