ERP PREPARATION

CHECK LIST

GET READY

THE PLAN

(Survival Guide)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

(The Storm)

THE NEW NORMAL

(Recovery)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COMMUNICATION UPPER MANAGEMENT BUY-IN AND SUPPORT

DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION PLAN

COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN  

DEVELOP A CHANGE MANAGEMENT TEAM

END-USER AWARENESS IS KEY

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

TEAM RESOURCES STEERING COMMITTEE

- UPPER MANAGEMENT PROJECT OWNERS 

CORE TEAM

- PROJECT MANAGER AND FUNCTIONAL AREA LEADS

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

- SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

END-USER CHAMPIONS

- “FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE”

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

NEEDS ASSESSMENT BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF YOUR BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FOCUSING ON WHAT END RESULT WORK PRODUCTS ARE CRITICAL.  IT IS ALSO LOOKING AT GAPS OR DEFICIENCIES IN YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM AND DETERMINING WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN A NEW SYSTEM. 

RECOMMEND A CONSULTANT TO HELP GUIDE THE PROCESS

BE PREPARED TO CHANGE BUSINESS PROCESSES TO ACHIEVE A NEEDED RESULT OR OUTCOME. 

PRIORITIZE NEEDS FROM “NICE TO HAVES”.

WHAT CAN THE VENDOR PROVIDE - OUT OF BOX VS CUSTOMIZATION

DON’T FORGET REPORTING IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

DON’T FORGET THE SMALL STUFF

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

CONTRACT  USE AN EXPERT

BRING IN YOUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT EARLY

MAKE SURE THAT THE STATEMENT OF WORK COVERS ALL PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND POST GO-LIVE SUPPORT

INCLUDE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT POSITIVE RESPONSES IN THE CONTRACT

RESERVE THE RIGHT TO HIRE AND FIRE THE VENDOR IMPLEMENTATION CONSULTANTS AND PROJECT MANAGER

CLEARLY DEFINE THE WORK REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH YOUR STAFF AND THE VENDOR STAFF

CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE NEEDED SUCH AS ROOMS, EQUIPMENT, AND DEDICATED STAFFING

ASK FOR DETAILED INVOICES EVEN IF YOUR CONTRACT IS BASED ON MILESTONE DELIVERABLES

HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED

THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT - IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REVISIT IT OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

DOCUMENTATION TREAT THIS LIKE ANY OTHER DISASTER. 

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT

ALWAYS HAVE A NOTE TAKER FOR MEETINGS

OPEN AN OUTSTANDING ISSUE LOG WITH ISSUE OWNERS

HAVE A CENTRAL PLACE FOR ALL PROJECT MEETING MINUTES, EMAILS ETC.

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

(Survival Guide)

THE PLAN

“People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

(The Storm)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

FOLLOW THE PLANCOMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTENREVISIT CONSTANTLYNOT SILO – THE SECRET TO ERP SUCCESS IS

THE “E” IN ENTERPRISE.

(The Storm)

The CORE TEAM PrayerPlease grant the Core Team the serenity to make the project change decisions they can make; courage to escalate those decisions needing a higher power;and WISDOM to know the difference.

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

RESOURCESCROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM

STRUCTURING THE TEAM CLEARLY DEFINE WHO DOES WHATENABLE THEM TO PERFORM THEIR ROLESPROJECT ROLE VS NORMAL JOBUPPER MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO SUPPORT

PROJECT REPORTING RELATIONSHIPSDECISION MAKINGTIMELY – EMPOWER SUBJECT MATTER

EXPERTSCROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATIONFIELD PARTNERS – CRITICAL TO THE PROJECT

SUCCESS FROM THE GET GO

(The Storm)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

RESOURCESTIMEREALISTIC GOALS

FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY VS TOMORROW

TAKE A PHASED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATIONPROJECT MANAGEMENT

DEDICATED, FULL TIME, 100% CORE TEAM IS AN EXTENSION OF PROJECT

MANAGERADAPTING THE PLAN

CHANGE WHEN AND WHERE NECESSARY CHANGE THE TEAM IF THE FIT IS NOT RIGHT CHANGE THE SPAN IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH

TIMEBACKFILL & OUTSOURCING

(The Storm)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

RESOURCES BACKFILL

START EARLY TEMPORARY HELP TO FOCUS ON

PROJECT 100% DOCUMENTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TRAINING POST PHASES

OUTSOURCE LEGAL CONSULTING CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

(The Storm)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

MANAGEMENT ROLESSTEERING COMMITTEESTRATEGIC VISION AND DIRECTIONCOMMUNICATION AND TIMELY DECISION

MAKINGPARTNER WITH FIELD DEPARTMENTSRESOURCE THE PROJECT RIGHTREINFORCE PROJECT AUTHORITY

STRUCTURECHANGE MANAGEMENTCHANGE HAS TO BE MODELED FROM THE

TOPMORALE IS KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY

(The Storm)

ACTIVATING THE PLAN

 “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” – Faye Wattleton

(The Storm)

TRAININGCOMMITMENT TO TRAINING MUST COME FROM MANAGEMENT

HAVE A TRAINING PLAN IN PLACE

START TRAINING EARLY AND HAVE REFRESHER COURSES OFTEN

FIELD END USER

GET INPUT FROM END USERS PRIOR TO THE TRAINING.

USE CHAMPIONS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FOR FEEDBACK AND HELP WITH TRAINING FIELD END USERS

FINANCE INTERNAL USER

HAVE MORE INTERNAL USERS INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT SO THAT THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM PRIOR TO TRAINING

HAVE A DATA AREA FOR USERS TO PRACTICE IN PRIOR TO GO-LIVE.

DON’T ASSUME WHAT THE USER ALREADY KNOWS.

DIFFERENT LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE. BE PATIENT.

THE NEW NORMAL

(RECOVERY)

COMMUNICATIONTHIS PROJECT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS (ESPECIALLY NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS)

PRODUCTIVITY WILL GO DOWN AND RECOVERY WILL TAKE TIME

INVOLVE THE FIELD PERSONNEL EARLY AND OFTEN - GET THEIR INPUT PRIOR TO GO-LIVE

EVALUATE YOUR PROCESSES AND DETERMINE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR ORGANIZATION BETTER

THE NEW NORMAL

(RECOVERY)

POST PHASESDOCUMENT IMAGING

POST GO LIVE SUPPORT

HELP DESK

TRAINING LAB

CONSULTANTS

THE NEW NORMAL

(RECOVERY)

RE-EVALUATION THE PLAN IS NEVER PERFECT.

ADJUST YOUR PROCESSES TO REALITY.

CHANGE MANAGEMENTKNOWLEDGE SHARE

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO PROCESSES

MORALETEAM MORALE

END USER MORALE

THE NEW NORMAL

(RECOVERY)

ERP

I WILL SURVIVE!