Manufacturing expertise

 

The post-ERP organization will need a different set of roles and skill than those with less integrated kinds of systems. At a minimum, everyone who uses these systems needs to be trained on how they work, how they relate to the business process and how a transaction tipples through the entire company whenever they press a key. The training will never end, it is an ongoing process so new people will always be coming in, and new functionality will always be entering the organization.

 

In every business function and department that is ERP-enabled you will need more than one staff who know the system and its relation to the departmental process. It is these people who have to guide, motivate and help their colleagues by working along with them. They will answer questions, find needed work around and let you know what is working and what isn't. These people will be the ERP team representatives in each department. It is a nice idea that these people have a dual reporting relationship; with their managers and with the ERP in-charge.

 

Consultants
 

Throughout the ERP life cycle, consultants and subject matter experts can assist the project team with various activities including developing a business case, package selection, process documentation, change management, training, project management and functional knowledge. While hiring consultants  adds to the project’s cost, they bring critically important skills to the project not available in-house.

 

Consultants should be knowledgeable, experienced professionals who can provide top-level management and the project team with analyses that support important decisions with clear articulation of the associated issues, relevant evidence and a candid discussion of alternatives. As outsiders, their unbiased recommendations can be invaluable in an ERP implementation, but, at the same time, the ultimate responsibility and authority belongs to the company and should be exercised by the project team and the executive sponsor.  Good consultants empower their clients to make the best decisions by effectively transferring knowledge throughout the project life cycle to the project team.