Evaluate your People | 01 Embarking on a New ERP Journey: Assembling the Right Team for Success

If you are embarking on a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation project a great team is a must!  A well-selected ERP has the potential to improve your operations.  But only if the right team is involved.  This team will be largely formed from within your organization. Your team (“owners”) will spearhead the implementation.  More importantly, the team will ensure your organization’s enablement, once external consultants’ step back.

The Imperative of Thoughtful Team Selection

It's crucial to entrust competent people for a transformative ERP project.  Plan to objectively evaluate potential team members before you select them. Do candidate individuals have the requisite skills to navigate the complexities of a new ERP? Given the challenging nature, here are some key considerations for a successful implementation:

Evaluating Team Capabilities and Soft Skills:

• Understanding and Achieving KPIs: Will the team comprehend, establish, and achieve key performance indicators (KPIs), such as adhering to timelines and budgets, ensuring work quality, and fostering effective communication and collaboration?
• Objective Progress Tracking: Will the team be capable of utilizing KPIs to objectively monitor and communicate project progress through a transparent and comprehensible scale?
• Adaptability to New Operational Methods: Will the team adopt new business operational methods, which require a transition period, but eventually achieve desired efficiency?
• Visionary Focus: Will the team be able to maintain a focus on the overarching vision without becoming entangled in the minutia of system functionality?
• Adoption of Best Practices: Can the team transition to best practices (e.g., GAAP, APICs, traceability, ISO) to realize business gains?
• Time Management: Will the team be adept at managing their time effectively?

Delving into Specific ERP Skills:

• Financial Management: Proficiency in accounting, general ledger management, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Human Capital Management: Expertise in human resources, payroll, benefits administration, and training.
• Manufacturing Management: Skills in purchasing, production planning, scheduling, execution, quality control, and inventory management.
• Supply Chain Management: Competence in procurement, logistics, transportation, and warehousing.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Mastery in sales, marketing, and customer service.

Additional ERP Skill Requirements:

• Technical Acumen: Knowledge pertaining to ERP systems, database management systems, programming languages, and cloud computing platforms.
• Business Process Insight: A thorough understanding of various business processes supported by ERP systems.

Best Practices - Performance Management:

It's important to recognize that evaluating your ERP implementation team’s performance is good management. Employ methods such as regular check-ins, performance reviews, and KPI tracking.  Ensure a well-rounded approach to the project, on-going management and the successful deployment of a new ERP.

In conclusion, wise selection and continuous evaluation of your ERP implementation team are paramount to navigating the complexities and challenges.  Seek to ensure a successful implementation but also the sustained efficacy and ever-improving use of the system to propel your business forward.

Try to anticipate what the new system will look like down the road.  And who is needed now to make that vision a reality.  Seek to get an A+ evaluation on your ERP deployment, you and your people deserve nothing less!

FUN FACT -77%

AP Enterprise Resource Planning applications touch 77% of global transaction revenue.  SAP runs the world's largest business network with over US$3.6 trillion in commerce annually, and has over 200 million users of SAP cloud applications.