Enterprise resource planning requires the work of the right people
4/11/2012 at 11:19 am by
A project as all-encompassing as an ERP implementation might not seem like something that needs to be micromanaged at each of its levels. In fact, something that so fundamentally alters the way a company operates might appear to only be open to executives, supervisors, managers and other company leaders simply because the scope is so large.
However, there needs to be a greater emphasis on inclusion if ERP or any business management software is going to be adopted by a company. In fact, CIO Magazine lists a failure to include lower level employees as one of the greatest possible shortcomings an implementation can experience. Think about which workers compose a business and how they can contribute input to a software customization, and then determine the most efficient ways to collect that information.
Information technology
Working with a software vendor means a company is going to be able to rely on that organization's resources, expertise and experience when it comes time to implement and run enterprise resource planning technology. However, that doesn't mean in-house staff members won't be called upon to negotiate the ups and downs that come with new software. Additionally, IT workers know the ins and outs of a company's networking and technological capabilities better than other staff members, so it's a good idea to get their input before a vendor is even contacted.
Department heads
Even rising from an entry-level position to become a high-level company leader means some perspectives in other divisions may not be available to that executive. Consequently, one of the most important balances to strike when assembling employees for pre-implementation input is between small groups and company knowledge. Simply put, it's a good idea to go as far down the commercial ladder as possible while simultaneously assembling as few department heads or supervisors as possible.
Customer engagement
No matter what kind of business an organization is engaged in, it will have a fair amount of workers who at some point have to deal with clients and customers. The information these employees make available can be invaluable because it comes directly from the people who in many ways an ERP system is ultimately meant to please. While there might a lot of work involved in tracing operations back from the customer to the systems that affect how products and services are delivered, it is nevertheless important to account for this input.
About the Author
The Sage ERP team report on various topics related to ERP and business management.
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