Useful Guidelines for ERP Implementation:

Based on experiences from the successful ERP projects, useful guidelines are suggested. You must understand the needs of the enterprise and feeling for corporate culture in the context of readiness for change.

a. The message must come from the top management regarding adoption of the project.

b. Continuous and frequent communication from top management regarding usefulness and mindset for the project should be made.

c. One should initiate the procedure with a feasibility report.

d. Changes in the business processes should be started in the early stages of the project. Everybody should be made aware of these changes. Resistance to change will reduce if employees are well informed about changes.

e. Phases of project implementation should be decided. One should hold consultative meetings for consensus.

f.  Top executive should play the role of champion and set the project as the ultimate goal in all efforts.

g. One should hire consultants having experience in ERP project implementation.

h. Task force team should visit sites of vendors and see how the ERP solution is functioning. Useful tips from the already presents users should be extracted.

i.  The documentation of the vendor should be studied cautiously.

j.  One should make a balanced implementation team, which include IT, HRD, Works, Financial and top executives. Other experienced functional managers must also be included.

k. There must be regular training and appraisal sessions in the organisation.

l.  One must ensure that the problems arising out of changes are handled carefully. As such problems are inevitable.

m. One should ensure good feedback mechanism to evaluate the results due to implementation.

n.  Taskforce team should decide whether to go for modular or complete ERP solution.

o.  One must look into the future capabilities of the enterprise when it is armed with ERP. One can take radical decisions for transformation, if need occur.