Bonjour,

Implementing an ERP system is a risky endeavor for various reasons. In this second part on managing risks, we’ll explore another important challenge that you will face in most implementations: underestimating the effort needed to successfully complete your project.

Quoting Tony Robbins: most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!

An ERP implementation is not an IT project. It is a business project with far reaching ramifications and deep impact. I believe it is somewhat normal for companies to struggle when it comes to preparation and planning. Especially when it is the organization’s first such experience.

During my career, I have seen many examples of project underestimation. I have seen executives position themselves as project managers when they were already very busy, even before the implementation began. It is also common for management to lack visibility on many operational details that are in their employees’ heads. Those tend to come out during implementation and throw sand in the gears. In other situations, organizations rely too much on their IT department to get the job done and do not allocate enough time from their key business users to support the project team. I am not blaming management, but as decision makers, they naturally end up with the hot potato in these matters. As a final example, I will mention the regular oversimplification we see users manifest when they look at a feature they want and the actual reality – read complexity – of the code or data model behind the screen.

Avoiding scope creep by clearly defining your deliverables and limiting yourself to the required functionality can help you maintain control over your timeline. Allocating sufficient resources and being sensitive to the project plan, throughout the implementation, can help you avoid project delays. Implementing in phases, whenever possible, is also a good way to keep things manageable.

Sometimes, saying ‘no’ is the way to go.

Please don’t hesitate to write if you have questions or comments.

Cordially,

Sylvain.