ERP project stress Archives - Innovate. Integrate. Transform. Run.

SAP Project Manager – SAP Program Manager, Lessons from the Trenches
SAP Project Manager – SAP Program Manager, Lessons from the Trenches

SAP Project Manager – SAP Program Manager, Lessons from the Trenches

By Bill Wood|July 25th, 2011|

This is a continuation of the previous post that addressed early requirements for good SAP project management (see Effective Results from SAP Project Managers – SAP Program Managers). SAP Project Management Responsibility Above all else, a manager’s primary responsibility is to ensure the success of those they are responsible for managing. Overall success of any initiative is directly tied to the success of those responsible for delivery of that initiative. This is especially true in fast-paced [...]

Toward an SAP Center of Excellence or SAP Competency Center – PART 3
Toward an SAP Center of Excellence or SAP Competency Center – PART 3

Toward an SAP Center of Excellence or SAP Competency Center – PART 3

By Bill Wood|July 28th, 2010|

Part 3 of 3 Stages and Components of the SAP Center of Excellence To wrap up this series, we will take a brief look at the post go-live or production support environment. One academic study I reviewed on ERP project success factors defined the three production stages of Acceptance, Routinization, and Infusion (see The Top 5 ERP Success Factors by Project Stage from 22 Critical Success Factors). These three terms fit the requirements for SAP production system stages as you move toward an SAP Cen [...]

Reduce SAP Project Stress Part 3
Reduce SAP Project Stress Part 3

Reduce SAP Project Stress Part 3

By Bill Wood|May 10th, 2010|

IT Project Hostile Emails to Wide Distribution Lists Previously, I offered insight and suggestions on the topic of reducing SAP project stress in a two-part series: Reduce SAP Project Stress: Part 1Reduce SAP, ERP, or Technology Project Stress: Part 2 In the Project Management Group on LinkedIn however, someone raised an interesting question that I have had to deal with on a few projects. They asked the following: “How do you respond to a senior project member who wrongly accuses yo [...]

Protecting the SAP Project’s Budget and Timeline
Protecting the SAP Project’s Budget and Timeline

Protecting the SAP Project’s Budget and Timeline

By Bill Wood|July 11th, 2009|

For years I have heard stories about blown SAP budgets and blown SAP project timelines. Personally, I have experienced a few project overruns [FN1], and a few where we came in under budget. However, I can’t say any of the projects were ever early. While I believe that coming in under budget is often possible, reducing the time frame is much more difficult because of the planning and coordination processes. You need to adjust all of the parallel work streams and get the coordination and [...]

Reduce SAP Project Stress: Part 1
Reduce SAP Project Stress: Part 1

Reduce SAP Project Stress: Part 1

By Bill Wood|August 25th, 2008|

Expectation Setting As one of the most overlooked consulting and management skills, expectation setting can make the difference between a good job and a mess. Expectation setting is vital for both the person who is supposed to meet the expectation (the consultant or implementation vendor), as well as those setting expectations (the customer or project manager). During an SAP implementation, project-related expectation setting comes at many points and phases of the project. The team nee [...]

Reduce SAP, ERP, or Technology Project Stress: Part 2
Reduce SAP, ERP, or Technology Project Stress: Part 2

Reduce SAP, ERP, or Technology Project Stress: Part 2

By Bill Wood|August 20th, 2008|

A good SAP project with solid performance requirements will often be a stressful experience. Anyone who has been through an ERP implementation has experienced this stress. And although this may sound counter-intuitive, if you’ve chosen the right people for the project during the course of the implementation, you will experience conflict. Why do tempers flare with the right people? They are usually the people who care the most about the business and are passionate about their responsibilities. I [...]