Who are the people you need on your ERP implementation team?
October 2, 2018 9:25 amERP implementation team members
You’ve made the decision that a next-generation ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution is what your organisation needs to deliver the requisite insights, automated workflows and harmonised data from across your operations. You’ve researched, budgeted and consulted and your shortlist of ERP platforms has been compiled. The implementation of an all-embracing ERP solution is a time, resource and skill-consuming exercise; embarking on this complex journey will certainly test your internal systems and your processes during the months ahead. But, it’s important to remember that it’s the people who will really count during times of mission-critical upgrades. Getting your ERP System Implementation team structure, its roles and responsibilities defined and managed is vital. At stake is a smooth, efficient ERP deployment that will enhance, rather than hinder, your business strategy and deliver that coveted positive Return on Investment.Who do you need on board to ensure ERP implementation success? How do you determine their responsibilities and the roles they’ll play on the project team?
First off, it’s imperative you define the qualities, experience, skill sets and personalities of your internal resource before you assemble your ERP project team. This is a team structure that will be centred on its accounting expertise, superior project management competencies, manpower availability and, not least, executive sponsorship and buy-in of the entire ERP System Implementation strategy. Essential to the viability of your internal resource is the superlative communication skills that will give a clear voice to negotiations, conflicts and discussions when necessary. Discipline, too, will be indispensable when it comes to maintaining the focus of the task in hand, adhering strictly to the program and balancing an openness to change with an appropriate resistance to it when called for. Remember also, you’ll be assembling a team of stakeholders that, depending on the size of your organisation, may involve personnel who are already committed and consigned to their day job and will need to remain both flexible and supported throughout the implementation process. ERP system implementation professionals worth their salt will always advise organisations to build their internal implementation team based on individuals’ ability rather than their job titles. Managers may manage their tea ERP System Implementation requires adaptability, time and a multitasking finesse like no other.
The project lead: the steering committee
Working alongside your ERP System Implementation consultant, the steering committee will comprise senior leaders and management who are responsible for defining and managing the key objectives for the implementation project. While CEOs, COOs, CFOs, VPs and directors will be taking centre stage for ERP roll-outs within multinational organisations, the same hierarchical approach for the high-level project leads should be applied to smaller scale businesses too.The project management team
The ERP System Implementation’s project management team, which may take the form of a single PM in a smaller enterprise, is likely to include VPs and directors from IT, finance, facilities and production divisions. A good mix of multifaceted personalities with the proven ability to focus on the implementation plan and identify essential changes to the specification will ensure the project schedule remains on course. This PM team will ultimately be responsible for delivering vital internal project management and communicating effectively with the ERP System Implementation partner.The first line support team: the super-users
The support team is there to keep the ERP solution running as it should and will be made up of line-oriented superusers. They’re there to work in conjunction with the ERP consultant to learn the ropes and train the trainers, conduct user acceptance testing, carry out various administrative tasks and provide first-line user assistance when needed.The importance of understanding your business by an ERP system implementation team
‘The only source of knowledge is experience’ – Albert EinsteinHe may not have been thinking about the rudiments of ERP System Implementation when he coined the phrase, but Albert Einstein certainly had foresight. The seamlessness of any ERP deployment rests on the understanding its implementation team has of its organisational processes, its industry and the capability of the ERP system it’s aiming to commission.

Talk to an ERP implementation consultant early on
The decision made to roll out an ERP solution, one of your first steps will have been to map out your business processes in order to formalise and shape exactly what you’re expecting from your ERP platform. Judging which platform will handle the scale and complexity of your implementation plan and achieve your overarching wants is best left to a specialist ERP implementation consultant with expertise of your industry and business model.