Of course throughout the project we had times when we felt like it was never going to end, or that nothing was going to work. But I'm very happy to report that we have successfully implemented a new ERP system in Brazil and in Chile in roughly 11 months of implementation of efforts. We had a few months worth of planning and preparation prior to beginning the effort with an implementation partner - planning and preparation included internal buy in and communication, implementation partner evaluation and project approach definition - all of which was accomplished with a team of 2, myself (Program Manager) and a Oracle expert.
When I first started with this assignment there was a lot of unknowns and as usual I reached out to people in my network and in the field to ask for advice - I'm so happy that I did so.
They gave me helpful advice that combined with my experience and courage, and some key differentiators made it for a successful venture.
There were a few key success differentiators for this project - these are all lessons learned that you and I can apply to any of our future projects:
- Minimum customization
- Qualified and experienced resources
- Global design strategy - The Big Picture
- Testing strategy
- Focused Leadership and careful communication
1) Minimum Customization
While customization is important on certain areas to fit a very generic system into a specific business model, it is also very dangerous. People tend to confuse needs with wants and they tend to want the system to solve all of their problems. Sometimes a business problem ought to be solved by people and processes.
It is also very important to prioritize. Customizations are indeed needed at times, but are they needed right now?
It can be difficult to reason with a user when they are being forced to let go of something they've know and used for so long. But that's what you need to do. Listen, understand, analyze, document and decide without bias - what's the impact of not having such customization (qualify and quantify it). Also understand the workarounds available and associated total costs. This will help you sort through the real needs, consequences and the other stuff that you will be able to deal with later.
It's not easy... You won't be loved and popular during this process... But you can do it with grace! As my husband would say "Kill'em with kindness" .... Be genuine, watch for the real needs! Don't just say no, take the time to understand and analyze, but make decisions, move forward.
2) Qualified and experienced resources is a must!!
In our project we had an excellent implementation partner (ITConvergence) that assisted us throughout the entire project, but a consulting firm is nothing without excellent individuals.
Our sales rep was the start of it all - Richard Hooper- you rock!!! - determined, relentless but not annoying and 100% dedicated to making things work for all parties. A true results-oriented guy! He understood the challenges, he took the time to check in, and he went above and beyond to assist us.
The second key player was the ITC project manager - Felipe Costa. Excellent leadership skills. He built a stellar team and most importantly, he lead them in a way that they wanted to follow. Kept things clean, simple and creative. He was always thinking of alternative solutions to make the project work, within budget, within schedule. His technical experience gave him the background needed to help his team move through blockers, and deliver on time. His teams, both in Brazil and Chile were great. An eclectic combination of experience, attitude, and dedication.
In addition to the consultants we also had a very experienced and well rounded specialist (Birgit Mertens) - she knows her stuff! She had lived and breathed Oracle for the past 20 years. Implemented it in many different countries in South America and had a knack for analyzing situations. I'm a problem solver at the core, in the way that I can not have an unsolved problem at hand. However sometimes situations require you to slow down and take the time to think things through - she was good at that, and I truly appreciated how we collaborated together. We complemented each other - I pushed, she pulled and together we always found a solution.
There were many other key players in this whole project, a whole 20+ people involved, not including the users and business leaders.
We didn't always have all the resources we needed, but the ones we did, we tried our best to ask for the best!
3) The Big picture!
Sometimes we forget to see the forest through the trees .... In this project we didn't. We took the time to define the big picture direction ... At least the ones that would be impactful to the system. It was not easy....
We spent an entire month together with the key players from the two major sites, discussing key definitions that were impactfull to the business, and ultimately would define how the system should operate.
Don't understand estimate the power of a well defined vision! And don't forget to communicate!
Don't understand estimate the power of a well defined vision! And don't forget to communicate!
4) Testing Strategy
A solid testing strategy, executed early enough in your project can be the key to your success.
Especially when you're dealing with large initiatives, such as an ERP implementation, it is important to plan for thorough testing as early as possible.
Now, I come from a Agile background... so Test Driven Development is a concept near and dear to my heart. However different projects and different initiatives require different TLC.
In this case, in our ERP implementation, the right thing to do, was to sprint to a completion point, where testing could begin. We did not want to spend much time with users validating a system that was too far off from what the end result would be. This meant we had to manage the anxiety, and expectations around timelines, and make sure that our team was fully prepared to execute when the time came.
Testing earlier on with all integrations allowed us to identify key issues earlier on in the project lifecycle, and allowed us time to mitigate accordingly.
5) Focused Leadership and careful communication
A solid testing strategy, executed early enough in your project can be the key to your success.
Especially when you're dealing with large initiatives, such as an ERP implementation, it is important to plan for thorough testing as early as possible.
Now, I come from a Agile background... so Test Driven Development is a concept near and dear to my heart. However different projects and different initiatives require different TLC.
In this case, in our ERP implementation, the right thing to do, was to sprint to a completion point, where testing could begin. We did not want to spend much time with users validating a system that was too far off from what the end result would be. This meant we had to manage the anxiety, and expectations around timelines, and make sure that our team was fully prepared to execute when the time came.
Testing earlier on with all integrations allowed us to identify key issues earlier on in the project lifecycle, and allowed us time to mitigate accordingly.
5) Focused Leadership and careful communication
Lastly but not least, Focused Leadership and careful communication were key to our success. As the Program manager, I spent most of my time leading the effort - removing roadblocks to allow the project team to do what they do best; and also much of my time was spent on communication. Communicating the goals and expectations to the project team; communicating with users constantly to help them understand the importance of their participation and expertise; communicating with executives to help them understand how we were progressing and some of the risks that we were facing. Constant, consistent and clear communication with all stakeholders is key!!
When it comes to communication, two things are important to keep in mind: Timing and Audience.
Not everything needs to be communicated to everyone. Different audience deserves and needs the proper level of detail and context for certain communication.
We established and communicated Project Norms that included a well-defined Escalation Process which helped us manage the information, how it was communicated, and also allowed us to be more efficient in our decision making process.
Clearly defining and communicating Roles & Responsibilities during the early stages of the project also helped keep things objective and encouraged participation and collaboration among the project team.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to have lead this effort from Idea through Implementation. It was a lot of work, and we faced a lot of challenges, but I am very happy with the results. Not only the project was an overall success, delivered within approved budget and schedule; I also gained tons of experience, learned a new language, made some new friends and got to see some of the world.
Thanks to everyone involved in this effort for your patience, dedication and trust!
Till we meet again!!
When it comes to communication, two things are important to keep in mind: Timing and Audience.
Not everything needs to be communicated to everyone. Different audience deserves and needs the proper level of detail and context for certain communication.
We established and communicated Project Norms that included a well-defined Escalation Process which helped us manage the information, how it was communicated, and also allowed us to be more efficient in our decision making process.
Clearly defining and communicating Roles & Responsibilities during the early stages of the project also helped keep things objective and encouraged participation and collaboration among the project team.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to have lead this effort from Idea through Implementation. It was a lot of work, and we faced a lot of challenges, but I am very happy with the results. Not only the project was an overall success, delivered within approved budget and schedule; I also gained tons of experience, learned a new language, made some new friends and got to see some of the world.
Thanks to everyone involved in this effort for your patience, dedication and trust!
Till we meet again!!
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