Different stakeholders often have different ideas about what they want from an ERP implementation. Those varying perspectives can sometimes grow out of control, leading the project team to establish goals that aren’t achievable, whether due to time constraints, resource availability, or other issues.
If you’re concerned your ERP implementation goals are beyond your company’s capabilities, below are some strategies your team can use to ensure you’ve set realistic ERP implementation goals.
Be thorough while gathering requirements for the project.
Workshops structured to prompt discussions are a good mechanism for bringing stakeholders together to identify and explore relevant requirements early in the project’s planning phase. Document current business processes and pain points during these workshops to build a shared understanding of not only what the team wants to accomplish but also what the starting point looks like. Participants can then flag potential gaps or conflicts that should be considered when setting and prioritizing the requirements for the project. This clear and comprehensive set of agreed-upon requirements forms the foundation for building realistic and achievable goals.
Implement a phased planing approach.
Create a more discrete view of your goals by implementing a phased planning approach. Breaking the implementation into manageable stages reduces the risk that goals will be too big to achieve and also allows the team to set milestones and success criteria for each phase. This approach also allows you to see where time may be needed between phases, such as to give users the opportunity to gain familiarity with the system or for IT to learn where unexpected issues may exist. The first phase may focus on core functionalities, while more complex features are added in later stages of the project.
Use realistic timelines.
Goals are sometimes unrealistic because the timelines themselves are impractical, so take time to conduct a candid assessment of the implementation schedule. Ask your implementation partners if your project’s timeline is shorter than their typical project durations. Assess your resource availability and competing priorities to ensure the timeline accounts for potential conflicts or constraints. Confirm the schedule includes adequate time for testing and training, where unexpected bugs or unfamiliar features could slow progress. Finally, evaluate whether you’ve included sufficient contingency time for these and other unanticipated challenges.
Map out capabilities.
Building a map that shows clear capabilities and limitations of the ERP platform can also help uncover where goals may not be realistic. If the system’s features don’t align with business requirements, you may need to look at adding customizations to reach your target outcomes. You may consider discussing technical feasibility with your in-house technology experts and external implementation vendors. If stakeholders have made inaccurate assumptions about how the new platform will deliver the necessary functionality, it’s best to flag and address those gaps before finalizing the project’s goals.
Identify success metrics.
To ensure your ERP implementation goals are realistic, work with stakeholders at all levels to develop clear success metrics so everyone knows what they’re trying to achieve. Set baseline measures before the implementation begins to help paint a picture of what it will really take to get where you want to go from where you are at the outset. Define measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) to maintain visibility into how well things are going along the way and course correct if necessary. Establish regular checkpoints to assess progress and provide stakeholders the opportunity to adjust their contributions to the project, such as approving additional labor resources or reminding their teams about the need to support key project activities. Because most ERP projects have long durations, feedback loops are important for ensuring the team has the input needed to maintain focus on the initiative’s goals across an extended time horizon.
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