Over my dead body: Common problems when implementing an ERP System

Over my dead body…

This was a comment I heard many years ago during the implementation of a new software system.  It came from one of the financial people in an organization that was trying to automate a manufacturing system.  The person in question didn’t agree with the direction the project was going and was quite vociferous in expressing their opinion about whether the solution should be implemented.  To be fair, the company had at the last minute decided to combine two very different manufacturing concerns and one of them had not been involved in the testing of the prototype.

My point, though, is the importance of having a strong and committed executive sponsor for the implementation.  In this case, the executive sponsor made the hard decision and the project continued on to a successful conclusion.  Without the sponsor’s involvement, it is likely the implementation would have been derailed.  Make sure an executive sponsor is identified right up front and that this person will be actively involved in monitoring the project.

Malcolm Roach, CA
President, Open Door Technology Inc.