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Unit 9: ERP Vendors, Consultants and Users

If the problems that end users faced at the time of implementations or at post implementations notes
phases are not addressed and alleviated well in advanced, it will cause trouble for the
organization.
If the company makes the mind of its employees to accept this fact and assists in making the
transformation, then the major obstacle in the path of an ERP package implementation is
solved.

9.4 in-house implementation: pros and cons

As designing and implementing a software package is not the business of most of the companies,
the system that their in-house team develops are not having quality, scope, functionality or
technology as compared to software created by software firms. Hence it is better for a company
to concentrate on their business and leave the job of ERP implementation on software firms who
are in that business. But to get maximum benefit – out of packaged solution, the company should
participate fully during a package implementation.
The company should plan the participation of employees so every person could have an
appropriate role in the implementation project so that, it has enough experts in-house once the
implementation is over.
The people who are implementing ERP system should have the good knowledge of product
along with following skills:
1. Knowledge of how to organize and run a project of this magnitude, i.e., good organizational
skill, project management, team management skill and knowledge of scientific method of
software project management
2. Enough experience in handling problem and issues that arise during the implementation
e.g. problems like cost over runs, time overruns etc.

3. Good people skills: ERP implementation will face resistance from the employee i.e. will be
ignorance about the product, fear of an un-employment, fear of training, fobia of technology
etc. That’s why it is very important that people in the implementation team are very good,
diplomats, adapt at diffusing crises situations.
4. Good leadership skills: An ERP implementation involves many people, thus is necessary
for vendors to adapt good communication and leadership skills. This is required for
implementation with existing employees.
5. Excellent – training skills: As the team training and end user training are the important
phases of implementation process, the excellent training should provided by the vendor.
As the end users are handling the whole systems, the success of an ERP implementation is in their
hands. The training should be given perfectly before leaving the company by a ERP vendor.
Besides this the successful ERP implementation also depends on the post implementation
(maintenance mode) scenario.
What happens if company itself goes for a ERP development or project?

As today’s business trend is to reduce the manpower and focus on company’s competitors, the
responsibilities of ERP implementation taken by in-house resources is rightly justified.
If a company wants to plan in-house implementation, it might hire experts and have them on the
company’s rolls. This is expensive proposition as once the implementation is over, there is no
need of keeping experts in the business.

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