Regular readers of the blog may remember my post “owning change” written just after my wedding in November 2013.  It doesn’t take a maths genius to work out that it took me a few more years than most to find my perfect partner.  Fortunately finding the perfect partner in ERP wasn’t so difficult.  I first saw SYSPRO in 2001 and have been a dedicated fan ever since.

Like any major project, ERP implementations go best when planned in advance.

Larger companies can dedicate multiple senior executives as well as teams of junior stakeholders to an ERP project. Smaller companies, on the other hand, can’t dedicate the same number of people to a project, but they do not require the same detail when planning an ERP project.

We have previously discussed how an ERP system can help a business, and also provided some suggestions on how to select an ERP solution. But if you have read some of the stories about ERP project problems you might wonder if it is worth the risk. The answer to this is twofold.

1. The reports on ERP project failure mainly refer to large organizations implementing fairly large projects, and are not representative of projects undertaken by small- and mid-size businesses.
2. It’s how you approach the implementation that is a significant determinant of success or failure.

On my previous post, I blogged about how Einstein’s Theory of Relativity inspired the SYSPRO USA go-to-market campaign 'S=MC²'; where S = SYSPRO ERP, M = Material and C² refers to Cost and Cash. This is about using amazing technology to get back to basics. Managing your assets and material, managing costs through efficiencies and visibility and managing the most important business resource there is – your funding and cash.

Einstein also inspired us when we named SYSPRO’s latest Quantum Architecture offering. In the Theory of Quantum Mechanics, Einstein attempts to explain the behavior of matter and its interactions with energy. SYSPRO’s Quantum Architecture attempts to resolve the behavior of your business and how your business interacts with technology and organization energy - the people and processes in your business.

With the festive season just past, it got me thinking about a friend and colleague who in my opinion encapsulates the very essence of a human firecracker! I’m referring to Trudy Deuchar, Group Business Operations & Information Manager for the Jasco group of companies, who over the last two years has played a pivotal role in completely modernizing, and indeed revolutionizing Jasco’s information systems.

Ten years ago, in 2002, a law was passed in the US Congress that has had a lasting effect on business. The law was Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and introduced sweeping changes to financial reporting. Other countries followed suit, and now wherever you go the regulatory requirements for governance and compliance reporting have continued to grow. This includes other areas of businesses as well, including: manufacturing, supply chain, product quality and safety.

Every year, ballet companies all over the world revive The Nutcracker; the classical fairy tale set to the music of Tchaikovsky, drawing young and old to theatres and dazzling them for hours with its beauty, grace and captivating story line. Here the choreographer weaves together some of the most beautiful dances ever conceived to produce endless sequences of sheer ballet fantasy.

Part 2: Changing the system as business realities change

Hands up all those who have started implementing an ERP system and not had to deal with changes as the project progresses. No one? I am not surprised. Has anyone gone live with an ERP project and never had any changes afterwards? The reality of any ERP project is that scope changes occur during the project, and after going live it is guaranteed that there will be more requirement changes.

Part 1: Building a house on a solid foundation

You can hardly miss it these days: questions about why Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects hit problems, or worse, fail, appear on so many websites. I have seen many ERP implementations and thought I had some answers, but it was only after I had been involved in building a house that I could see the similarities between building projects and ERP implementations, and why we don’t see buildings collapsing in the same ways some ERP projects fail.

Isn’t it interesting how people give route directions differently, each believing to get the listener to his rightful destination in his own way? So often they start off with: “You know where XYZ café is? Well, from there take ….” Others may draw a crude sketch, showing the number of traffic lights you need to cross before turning left; but always adding “I think” before continuing. Still others take a map book, open it on the right page … and before providing directions, turn the book to face true north!