ERP Implementation Methodology – Your role in it

SUBHAJIT MAZUMDER

Managing Member, Team Advisory

Agenda

• Understanding ‘Implementation’

Ch ll & Ri k• Challenges & Risks

• Implementation Methodology

• Action Plans

Understanding ‘Implementation’

• Standard software process parlance –development installation deliverydevelopment, installation, delivery

• Why Implementation?

• Various aspects involved– Business process

– Accepted practices & best practices

– Extent of re‐engineering

– Organization maturity & culture

– Technology

Challenges

• Identifying need for ERP – what tangible benefits does a company expect?benefits does a company expect?

• Is ERP the way to achieve it? – we are talking abo t con ictionabout conviction

• Legacy systems have served for no. of years –replace them!!

• Business processes have been carried out this way for x no. of years – change them!!

• Learning barriersg

Challenges

• Cost of implementation – what are my one‐time costs and recurring costs?time costs and recurring costs?

• So many products (roughly over 300 today!!) –hich one ill I implement?which one will I implement?

• Commitment of resources over a LONG period of time

• How to go about choosing the right implementer?

• Will the implementation be successful?p

Risks

• Implementation risk

U i k• Usage risk

• Financial risk

• Resource risk

• Data risk

The beginnings

• ERP fitment has been done – [elaborate]

S f i l t ti h b d id d• Scope of implementation has been decided

• Consultants have been engaged

• Know your stakeholders

• Form a team!! – [characteristics][ ]

• The project is about to begin – buy in some timetime

Team Structure

Client Project M

Consultant P j t MManager Project Manager

Client Process O

Consultant FunctionalOwners Functional

C lt tClient End Users

Consultant Functional / TechnicalTechnical

Client Readiness

• Prepare for the implementationAnalyze current ways of conducting business– Analyze current ways of conducting business

– Identify pain areas / bottlenecks

Id tif t ibl bl d i d– Identify tangible, measurable, desired improvements

Orient your people about ERP tell them its for– Orient your people about ERP – tell them its for better – also let them know the initial hurdles –create a mindsetcreate a mindset

– Document

So far..

P i l t tiProject ‘go’ decision has been taken with 

conviction

Pre‐implementation consulting has been 

done. Derive maximum benefit

Getting ready for the marathon implementationconviction maximum benefit 

during this stage.implementation

Implementation Phases

Analysis

DesignGo‐Live

Configuration & 

Customization

User Acceptance Testingg

Analysis

• Requirements gathering stage

AS IS• AS‐IS

• TO‐BE

• Gap fitment – fit, workaround, customization

• Requirements Document – FRD / PDD / SRSq / /

• What you should do?

Design

• There is nothing to design!!

Wh t h ld d ?• What you should do?

• Technical Design Documents

• Information Flows

• Delegation of responsibilityg p y

• System Architecture

• Connectivity / Hardware / Software suitability• Connectivity / Hardware / Software suitability

Configuration

• Questionnaires

D t t l t• Data templates

• Verification & Validation

• Some data migration

• What you should do?y

• En‐Vision!!

Customization

• New processes will be developed

T h i l k d t• Technical work products

• What you should do?

• Ensure complete integrity with base product functionality

• Do not customize too much!!

User Acceptance Testing

• Test plans

B i l d fi iti• Business cycle definitions

• Identifying correct functional testers

• What you should do?

• Remember the onus of testing lies on you!!g y

Go‐Live

• Data migration

O i b l• Opening balances

• User roles

• What you should do?

Post‐Implementation

• Use! Use! Use! the ERP system

Id tif bl (if )• Identify problems (if any)

• Complete execution of all possible activities within a time framework

• Verify ticket resolutions

• Ask for limited support

• Own the systemOwn the system

Questions?Questions?

Thank You

team.advisory@gmail.com