Independent ERP and Lean & Operational Excellence Consultants

I’ve blogged previously about the timing of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) efforts in the context of selecting and implementing ERP. Many companies recognise the benefits of taking a new look at the way they do things when implementing ERP but baulk at the thought of the costs involved. Surely there’s a way to get better value out of ERP by improving the way your processes work but without going through a full scale BPR exercise? Read more »

In the last in a series of Blogs on ERP Upgrades, John Donagher looks at 'The Upgrade Implementation Project'. Having recently completed managing a successful ERP upgrade project, John reflects on a few of the key factors behind making an ERP upgrade project a success. Read more »

In the second in a series of Blogs on ERP Upgrades, John Donagher looks at 'What will the upgrade cost'? If you’re planning an ERP upgrade then you need to get a handle on your project costs. What are the main things you need to take into consideration? Read more »

Upgrading an existing ERP system generally doesn’t involve the same level of upheaval as a new implementation, but it’s still an important technology project carrying a substantial cost that needs to be done properly. What are the key things to look out for? Read more »

The goal of “one size fits all” ERP has increasingly been found wanting for large, complex and diverse organisations. In fact, they’re finding exactly the opposite – making a legacy system work across every element of an organisation isn’t necessarily the best solution. Read more »

Many organisations thinking about selecting and implementing a new ERP system find themselves in a dilemma – they feel that they should look at reengineering their business processes, but should they do it before selecting the new system, before implementation, or during implementation? Read more »

Why do some companies go to the trouble and expense of documenting detailed functional requirements only to completely ignore these requirements later in the ERP selection process? Read more »

Lack of senior management commitment is routinely listed as one of the major risk factors for ERP projects. But how can a lack of commitment manifest itself and what can a project manager do about it? Read more »

It seems reasonably straightforward: select and implement a new ERP system to replace those legacy systems that simply have to go. “ERP is a one-stop shop,” you’ve been told. “ERP will do everything you need.” But what about that system you’ve just read about that provides amazing functionality for one specific part of your operation and has features that could be invaluable to your business? Will ERP systems be able to provide the same depth of functionality? Maybe 100% ERP isn’t the answer? What should you do? Read more »

Stories of disastrous ERP projects are enough to ensure sleepless nights for CEOs or CIOs looking at the prospect of implementing a new ERP system. So what should you do to ensure that your project is a success? Read more »

You’re planning to implement ERP, but how do you decide if you should introduce the new system in a ‘phased’ manner or go for the ‘big bang’ approach? Read more »