[ad_1]
What to do right in a Business Software Selection Project
An ERP selection project (or any business software selection project) is a difficult endeavor. There are many things that need to be managed. There have been projects that seem to go well and then suddenly things end up on the wrong track. The critical thing about an ERP Selection project or any business software selection is that it lays the ground work for the implementation project. So if it is done correctly, you will have a higher chance of success in your implementation. If you have a weak selection project, then you are likely to have an equally weak implementation.
Things to ensure success on your Selection Project
There are several things you can do to ensure success on your selection project. Firstly is to gain top management's support for this project. If the project is not a high priority at the top, then it will never succeed. This is one of the most important things that needs to be in place for a project to be successful. Good project management dictates that you have support for the selection project before undertaking the project. If the staff see that management does not really care, then they will not care. However if people realize that management has made this a priority, they will shift their work to accommodate this new project.
The next thing that will help to ensure success is to have well-defined expectations. This means that you need to map out the goals that you want to achieve with the new system. Often people will define their requirements for the system, but they have no higher goal. What is driving this need for a change? What is the expected successful exit. Any successful project begins with the end in mind, but an ERP selection project is driven by the overriding goal of a successful out come resulting in significant positive changes. This goal will get you through the difficult times. Without it, the project is destined to achieve mediocre results and will likely take longer and be more difficult.
A focused timeline will also aid to the success. If you can define and manage to a set timeline and stick to it, the selection project will move at a reasonable pace. If you do not set a timeline and manage to it, the project will move at the pace of the vendors and will likely flounder. Again, this goes back to the management support. It needs to be a driven project. A selection project that is treated like just additional work will not be successful.
Focused and available resources are also key to the successful ERP selection project. Typically there are two teams, which may overlap. First is an executive steering committee that will decide on key things such as issues that arise where departments are competing with one another, or issues where time and budget are involved. This team is usually composed of senior management and at least has people empowered to make strategic decisions. Second is a functional team that represents the various areas of the business. Accounting, Quality Control, Manufacturing operations, Purchasing, Order Management, Inventory Control, etc. are all key areas that should be represented in the functional team.
This team needs to have the time to dedicate to the project. Companies that are truly committed to the success of the selection project often will move key people out of their jobs and give them full-time responsibilities to the project. This is often very difficult and creates a short-term gap in the various departments. But usually the remaining staff rise to the challenge and the leader from the department will provide invaluable insight into how the software system should function. The best people to assign to the project are the people you can least afford to remove from their jobs. They are the movers and shakers of the company and they make things happen in their departments. But this personality is exactly what you need on your selection project. They will give insight and a sense of drive to the project that will absolutely make it and the company a success.
Another key area to keep in your area of focus is the acceptance of change. Change management is one of the critical things you can do to ensure that the implementation is a success. But why talk about this in the selection project? Because the selection is where the change management process begins. If you can communicate your goals and visions for the project and get people rolled into the idea of a change to their working environment, and make them excited about the change, then you are on your way to being successful. Change management boils down to effective communication. If you can communicate the needs, the reasons for the projects and the successful vision, then you will gain the trust and support of those who will likely be doing more work in the short-term to make the selection project a success. This includes those who are not directly involved, but will certainly be users of the system. You need to make sure that everyone is involved.
This ties in with the last success factor and that is the communications plan. A plan needs to be drawn up to help communicate the goals of the project, the status of the project, that impact the project will have on users and even communicating bad news. Be sure to build into the project the communication plan. For example, at initiation, communicate the goals and desires of the project to the employee community. Along the way, communicate the status of the project. Make people feel involved or at the very least they are not being kept in the dark about the project.
What a Successful Selection Project looks like
If you have done the above mentioned items well, then a selection project will look like and will be a success. There are many aspects to a selection project, including people, processes, and the technology. Managing all of these factors well will result in your success. But communication and support are critical. You can not over communicate too much. Be sure that you have support and that everyone understands why you are undertaking the project. If you do this, you are on your way to choosing the right software and including a successful outlet to your implementation, all thanks to the good work you put in on the ERP selection project.
[ad_2]
Source by Chris Shaul
