relational database management systems

Set targets, establish budget and make it happen
This is the second part of article on Success factors of an ERP implementation. We are sure this series of articles will guide our readers make their ERP system work effectively and successfully.
Make ERP-related decisions quickly: How about a rule that all decisions must be made within three days? This may seem arbitrary, but setting a fast and deliberate implementation pace is critical. Experience has shown that when an ERP project stretches more than 10-12 months, it is at risk - mostly because key team members move on.
Put the very best people on the implementation team: The natural tendency is to staff projects with people who are the most available. But these people may not have the skills or process knowledge required to get the job done. This is complex stuff. An ERP project will require the best talent that you have. And if you assign only part-time talent, then work gets prolonged and the project is at risk. ERP work is not just a project. It is the beginning of a continuous improvement process. There are at least five years of benefits to get out of any ERP implementation.
Phased approach: It is important to break as ERP project down to manageable pieces by setting up pilot programs and short-term milestones. Depending on the IT experience, some organizations choose the easiest piece as the pilot project, while others may implement a mission-critical application first. The pilot project can both demonstrate the benefits of ERP and help gain hands-on ERP implementation experience.
Data conversion: Second generation ERP systems use relational database management systems (RDMBS) to store enterprise data. If large amounts of data are stored in other database systems or in different data formats, data conversion is a daunting task, which is often underestimated in ERP implementation. A two-hour data conversion task could be turned into a two-month effort as a result of the DBA group's lack of technical experience and the management's incompetence or ignorance.
Organization commitments: The involvement of ERP implementation goes far beyond the IT department to many other functional departments. The commitment and smooth coordination from all parties is the key to the success of ERP project. The commitments come from the understanding of how ERP can benefit each functional department. For example, if the warehouse staff is not completely sold on the benefits of the inventory control module, they may not input the kind of usage data that is essential to the project's success.
Create partnership between your software vendor and your stakeholders: While this concept may seem obvious, it has been found that the vendor-client relationship is often contentious and sometimes outright hostile. This fact is particularly true if the organization is severely divided regarding the choice of vendor software. As problems arise during implementation, and they will arise, the blame game often begins. Before long, the project evolves into a standoff with neither vendor nor client willing to admit fault. A third-party project director or manager is often the best solution for this dilemma. This person can usually serve as an objective mediator to bring the parties together, finding solutions, rather than allowing the project to slow down to a crawl.
Sell, sell, and continue to sell the ERP to your stakeholders: Implementing ERP systems are extremely complex and take months or even years, to implement it. If your stakeholders understand the long-term benefits of the system, they are much more willing to accept any perceived temporary steps backward.
Build and leverage process expertise: Process focus is if anything, more important after going live since the company now has an even greater core of process expertise. Successful companies fully capitalize on this expertise and the power of ERP-enabled process. One way is by sending process experts from the implementation team back into the organization, or by having some serve at centers of excellence, some as key process performers and some as business managers. Successful companies never forget the point of the integrated enterprise - that it is not about ERP so much as it is about people involved in ERP-enabled processes.
Adequately resource your project: Ensure that replacements are in place to release key team participants. The people who do the daily work of running functional departments are the same people who will be essential to implementing an ERP system. No surprise. The people with the most knowledge will be needed for the majority of the project. Priorities will conflict between the demands of the office and demands of the project. The most effective solution we have seen is hiring or contracting with additional resources to serve as backfill for key office personnel. Admittedly a new resource cannot do everything that an experienced resource normally does; however, the replacement can handle routine work and coordinate with the experienced person for critical decision.
Define metrics and manage them: Successful companies set targets, establish budgets and make it happen - especially after gong live. On the other hand, after seeing head-counts fall and inventory shrink to more efficient levels, less successful companies can see these giants reversed if they do not continue to decline metrics and stick to them.
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