Page 176 - DCAP302_ENTERPRISE_RESOURCE_PLANNING

Enterprise Resource Planning

notes 9.2 consultants

Business consultants are highly skilled professionals who specialize in developing techniques
and methodologies for dealing with implementation and with various problems that will
crop-up during the implementation of the package. They are good administrators and control
the whole process of implementation and post – implementation. The only problem with them is
that they are very-very expensive.
The consultant firms inspect the various products, develop in-depth understanding of each
product’s strengths and weaknesses, worked by side of the ERP vendors. It confirms that
vendor’s package works and learns the techniques, found out the pitfalls and mistakes that could
be avoided and thus creates a pool of experts, who handles the ERP implementation without
failure.

role of consultants

The consultants play various roles in implementation. The responsibilities of consultant towards
the organization going for ERP implementation are as follows:
1. The consultant should guarantee the success of the project and should be able to show the
results to the satisfaction of the company management.

2. The consultant should be responsible for administrating, monitoring, and inspecting the
activities of implementation. This is very important in the activities at scheduled time and
maintain the quality on the package.

3. Consultants should add the value to the project as they have seen many projects and made
or seen mistakes. They can avoid some mistakes and could add quality which save time,
money and efforts.
4. The consultant shares their previous experience about the implementation of a package,
which makes the implementation easier and value added. Thus, instead of trial and error
based implementation, consultant helps by doing it right at first time.
5. Consultant should also know how to remain impartial while questioning current process
in an effort to promote better business practices and implementing results.

6. Consultants are responsible for analyzing and clearly addressing customization issues, i.e.,
it should be distinguished between ‘must have’ and ‘nice to have’. (requirements, needs
and options).
Consultants need to position themselves in such a way as to balance their loyalty to the client and
project. It is duty of the consultant to understand the total context and scope of the work and to
know when to alter the company management about action and decision.

9.3 end-users

These are the people who will be using ERP system, once it is in place. These are the people who
were doing the functions that are being automated or computerized by ERP. With implementation,
nature of job will change. It is human nature to resist change and implementation changes the
whole business in a very massive scale. Employee will fear that system will replace existing jobs.
They are also afraid of training and learning, they have to do to use the new system. These are
the people who will be directly affected by the implementation changes as they are working at
operational level. Their job profile get change, job responsibilities undergoes drastic alterations.
They are also forced to develop new skill sets.

170 LoveLy professionaL university