For any project to be successful, it requires a leader, and an ERP implementation is no different. Projects involve people who take on roles, responsibilities, tasks, and decisions. They are a true team, and everyone’s actions (or inactions) affect the team and project. The ERP Project Manager is the leader of this team, and is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the implementation.
...the “Top 10 Things I Wish My ERP Implementation Partner Told Me About.” This was the title of a session at a recent ERP user conference I attended. Naturally, as an ERP implementation vendor, I wanted to sit in and gain some perspective from a large group of customers.
CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) is a sophisticated, robust ERP solution with a full complement of functionality that provides solutions to enterprises of all sizes. ERP software depends on processes, and tools to support those processes, along with people who understand how to do their jobs. Think of the software as an airplane—even the newest, best model still needs a pilot, so training is key. A plane is no good if the person commanding it does not know how to fly it.
If you use work orders to produce goods and aren’t getting manufacturing analytics out of your ERP system, you have an important resource that’s untapped. The good news is this can be fixed. The other good news is fixing it will lead to a smoother operating production floor with a more predictable output. There is no “easy” button, but there is a proven method you can follow to mine manufacturing analytics. Companies that use this method find managing production is easier, because they have data. They know what to fix, and just as importantly, what to leave alone. Data leads to focus, which leads to better results. It’s not magic, but it does work.
In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I think he got it mostly right. He should have said: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and the need for custom reports from your ERP system.” In Ben’s defense, computers and ERP systems weren’t invented yet, so he did the best he could...
In the job shop machine industry there is a funny answer to the question, “What do you make?” The response is, “Chips. We make metal chips. The faster we make them, the better we are doing.” (Metal chips are made with a metal cutting tool removing the material you don’t want. The tools are used on equipment like a lathe or a mill. Want to know how they work? Read this.)
It seems that “manufacturing data analytics” is the popular buzz term in every facility these days. Management concludes they must collect and analyze as much data as possible to identify trends and opportunities within the manufacturing process. Every sample of data should somehow equate to an ability to gain a competitive advantage. And yet the most common result is analysis paralysis.
Visual South has spent over two decades doing ERP implementations and we’ve learned more than a few secrets to success along the way. Our project leaders and implementation consultants have managed customer teams that were cooperative…and others that weren’t so cooperative. The success of the project greatly depends on getting your implementation team members on board and employees to buy in. An ERP implementation is a team activity. As with any team, if one person fails to do their job, there will be breakdowns and mistakes that not only affect that person, but the entire team. One person can cause a phase or entire project to fail. It is as simple as that.
I hope everyone had a nice summer. Now that all the kids are back in school, maybe you should think about going “back to school” as well. Let me explain.
