The secret to a successful ERP implementation

One key that makes an organisation’s ERP implementation succeed is the serious involvement of executives in implementing the ERP system.

The reason executives’ involvement in the ERP implementation is important is that senior executives can take part in creating motivation, making employees see the importance of using the ERP system to manage the organisation.

The involvement of senior executives in implementing the ERP system helps the organisation succeed in the implementation through the following contributing factors:

1. Executives can create motivation for employees
2. Executives can plan the management of the ERP implementation together with the implementer
3. Executives can take part in decisions at the various steps during the ERP implementation

The details of each factor are as follows.

1. Executives can create motivation for employees

Executives can create motivation for employees to use the ERP system by having employees take part in expressing their opinions on how work should be arranged and how training should be arranged for employees, so as to help employees work smoothly during the period of changing from the old system to using the ERP system, and so that the employees involved don’t have to work too hard.

2. Executives can plan the management of the ERP implementation together with the implementer

Organisational executives know their own organisation best — its strengths, weaknesses in work, and the potential of the organisation’s personnel — including knowing the organisation’s IT resources well. These things contribute greatly as components in planning together with the implementer to implement the ERP system.

So if executives come in and take part in the ERP implementation, it gives the implementation a very high chance of success.

3. Executives can take part in decisions at the various steps during the ERP implementation

Organisational executives have more authority to decide on various matters than operational-level employees, especially financial decisions and decisions on the strategy for implementing the ERP system.

Financial decisions, or the investment budget — which ERP provider to choose to invest with.

Besides looking at the amount of money, the investment budget must also be looked at in terms of value for money and the feasibility of actual use.

As for decisions on the strategy for implementing the ERP system, initially executives play a major part in defining a clear objective for what the organisation wants to implement the ERP for, such as to reduce production costs.

Planning and setting clear goals for the work also lets the organisation implement the ERP system efficiently.

Conclusion

In summary, an organisation’s executives should take part in the ERP implementation — whether in creating motivation for employees, planning the management, implementing the ERP system together with the implementer, financial planning, and setting goals for the ERP implementation.

If executives take part in all of this seriously, it helps the organisation’s ERP implementation proceed step by step and go smoothly.

It helps increase the organisation’s chance of succeeding in the ERP implementation very well.