How to Select Your ERP Implementation Team
Are you getting ready to implement a new ERP system such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations? Have you carefully vetted your internal implementation team, as well as the team of your implementation partner? Having the right team and resources in place is critical to the success of your project. A dysfunctional team at any level virtually sets up the for project for failure. One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is to designate one single person to be responsible for all decisions. Here are some helpful tips on how to select your ERP implementation team.
The Western Computer Approach
Of course, you want to ensure that both your internal team as well as your partner’s team are positioned for success. At Western Computer, our approach is to provide a full and experienced team that includes a project manager, functional analysts who are experts in specific aspects of the system, and solution architects. The solution architects play an important role since they:
- Evaluate your current business processes
- Determine how the system will be implemented
- Identify and design any extensions required to meet custom needs
Finally, we also provide technical architects who deploy the Dynamics 365 instances and develop any required modification. They also help address any technical deployment issues that arise.
The Customer Project Team
As you build your internal ERP implementation team, we recommend a tiered project structure with the following roles.
- Executive sponsor: the C-level executive who is charged with ensuring that the ERP project is completed and the system is implemented successfully. He or she has both the budgetary and decision-making authority to ensure project success.
- Steering Committee: key managers from all functional areas who review project status, provide guidance, and break down roadblocks.
- Project leader/project manager: a trained project manager who has a track record of successful implementations, the ability to manage all aspects of the project, and knowledge about the systems being implemented.
- Project core team: company employees who have been selected to work on the project full-time and who meet the criteria outlined by the project manager.
- Subject matter experts: key people from each department or discipline who understand the business and how specific business processes should work to meet the company’s objectives. They may be part of the core team or part-time participants.
- Part-time team members: internal resources who supplement the core team, helping with large tasks such as data entry and testing. Part-time team members can also be used to provide validation of the core team’s approach.
- Technical lead and team members: IT people who will be responsible for supporting the ERP system going forward. They manage company-specific systems and instances of the new systems (if they exist). They also perform technical tasks such as converting legacy business data to the new system, writing reports, and participating in the design and development of any required enhancements or modifications.
The key objective of team selection is to ensure a fully functional team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. An experienced partner like Western Computer can guide you with the selection process. This is what we do every day and we are here to help you. Contact us to get started.
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