ERP PREPARATION

1. ERP PREPARATION CHECK LIST GET READY

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS • THE PLAN (Survival Guide) • ACTIVATING THE PLAN (The Storm) • THE NEW NORMAL (Recovery)

3. THE PLAN COMMUNICATION • UPPER MANAGEMENT BUY-IN AND SUPPORT • DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION PLAN • COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN   • DEVELOP A CHANGE MANAGEMENT TEAM • END-USER AWARENESS IS KEY (Survival Guide)

4. THE PLAN TEAM RESOURCES • STEERING COMMITTEE - UPPER MANAGEMENT PROJECT OWNERS • CORE TEAM - PROJECT MANAGER AND FUNCTIONAL AREA LEADS • IMPLEMENTATION TEAM - SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS • END-USER CHAMPIONS - “FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE” (Survival Guide)

5. THE PLAN NEEDS ASSESSMENT • BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND • THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF YOUR BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FOCUSING ON WHAT END RESULT WORK PRODUCTS ARE CRITICAL.  IT IS ALSO LOOKING AT GAPS OR DEFICIENCIES IN YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM AND DETERMINING WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN A NEW SYSTEM.  • RECOMMEND A CONSULTANT TO HELP GUIDE THE PROCESS • BE PREPARED TO CHANGE BUSINESS PROCESSES TO ACHIEVE A NEEDED RESULT OR OUTCOME.  • PRIORITIZE NEEDS FROM “NICE TO HAVES”. • WHAT CAN THE VENDOR PROVIDE - OUT OF BOX VS CUSTOMIZATION • DON’T FORGET REPORTING IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. • DON’T FORGET THE SMALL STUFF (Survival Guide)

6. THE PLAN CONTRACT •  USE AN EXPERT • BRING IN YOUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT EARLY • MAKE SURE THAT THE STATEMENT OF WORK COVERS ALL PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND POST GO-LIVE SUPPORT • INCLUDE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT POSITIVE RESPONSES IN THE CONTRACT • RESERVE THE RIGHT TO HIRE AND FIRE THE VENDOR IMPLEMENTATION CONSULTANTS AND PROJECT MANAGER • CLEARLY DEFINE THE WORK REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH YOUR STAFF AND THE VENDOR STAFF • CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE NEEDED SUCH AS ROOMS, EQUIPMENT, AND DEDICATED STAFFING • ASK FOR DETAILED INVOICES EVEN IF YOUR CONTRACT IS BASED ON MILESTONE DELIVERABLES • HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED • THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT - IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REVISIT IT OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS (Survival Guide)

7. THE PLAN DOCUMENTATION • TREAT THIS LIKE ANY OTHER DISASTER.  DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT • ALWAYS HAVE A NOTE TAKER FOR MEETINGS • OPEN AN OUTSTANDING ISSUE LOG WITH ISSUE OWNERS • HAVE A CENTRAL PLACE FOR ALL PROJECT MEETING MINUTES, EMAILS ETC. (Survival Guide)

8. THE PLAN (Survival Guide)

9. ACTIVATING THE PLAN “People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (The Storm)

10. ACTIVATING THE PLAN • FOLLOW THE PLAN • COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN • REVISIT CONSTANTLY • NOT SILO • – THE SECRET TO ERP SUCCESS IS THE “E” IN ENTERPRISE. The CORE TEAM Prayer Please grant the Core Team the serenity to make the project change decisions they can make; courage to escalate those decisions needing a higher power;and WISDOM to know the difference. (The Storm)

11. ACTIVATING THE PLAN • RESOURCES • CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM • STRUCTURING THE TEAM • CLEARLY DEFINE WHO DOES WHAT • ENABLE THEM TO PERFORM THEIR ROLES • PROJECT ROLE VS NORMAL JOB • UPPER MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO SUPPORT PROJECT REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS • DECISION MAKING • TIMELY – EMPOWER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS • CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION • FIELD PARTNERS – CRITICAL TO THE PROJECT SUCCESS FROM THE GET GO (The Storm)

12. ACTIVATING THE PLAN • RESOURCES • TIME • REALISTIC GOALS • FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY VS TOMORROW • TAKE A PHASED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • DEDICATED, FULL TIME, 100% • CORE TEAM IS AN EXTENSION OF PROJECT MANAGER • ADAPTING THE PLAN • CHANGE WHEN AND WHERE NECESSARY • CHANGE THE TEAM IF THE FIT IS NOT RIGHT • CHANGE THE SPAN IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME • BACKFILL & OUTSOURCING (The Storm)

13. ACTIVATING THE PLAN • RESOURCES • BACKFILL • START EARLY • TEMPORARY HELP TO FOCUS ON PROJECT 100% • DOCUMENTATION • PROJECT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE • TRAINING • POST PHASES • OUTSOURCE • LEGAL CONSULTING • CHANGE MANAGEMENT • PROJECT MANAGEMENT (The Storm)

14. ACTIVATING THE PLAN • MANAGEMENT ROLES • STEERING COMMITTEE • STRATEGIC VISION AND DIRECTION • COMMUNICATION AND TIMELY DECISION MAKING • PARTNER WITH FIELD DEPARTMENTS • RESOURCE THE PROJECT RIGHT • REINFORCE PROJECT AUTHORITY STRUCTURE • CHANGE MANAGEMENT • CHANGE HAS TO BE MODELED FROM THE TOP • MORALE IS KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY (The Storm)

15. ACTIVATING THE PLAN “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” – Faye Wattleton (The Storm)

16. THE NEW NORMAL TRAINING • COMMITMENT TO TRAINING MUST COME FROM MANAGEMENT • HAVE A TRAINING PLAN IN PLACE • START TRAINING EARLY AND HAVE REFRESHER COURSES OFTEN • FIELD END USER • GET INPUT FROM END USERS PRIOR TO THE TRAINING. • USE CHAMPIONS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FOR FEEDBACK AND HELP WITH TRAINING FIELD END USERS • FINANCE INTERNAL USER • HAVE MORE INTERNAL USERS INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT SO THAT THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM PRIOR TO TRAINING • HAVE A DATA AREA FOR USERS TO PRACTICE IN PRIOR TO GO-LIVE. • DON’T ASSUME WHAT THE USER ALREADY KNOWS. • DIFFERENT LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE. BE PATIENT. (RECOVERY)

17. THE NEW NORMAL COMMUNICATION • THIS PROJECT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE • MANAGE EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS (ESPECIALLY NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS) • PRODUCTIVITY WILL GO DOWN AND RECOVERY WILL TAKE TIME • INVOLVE THE FIELD PERSONNEL EARLY AND OFTEN - GET THEIR INPUT PRIOR TO GO-LIVE • EVALUATE YOUR PROCESSES AND DETERMINE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR ORGANIZATION BETTER (RECOVERY)

18. THE NEW NORMAL POST PHASES • DOCUMENT IMAGING • POST GO LIVE SUPPORT • HELP DESK • TRAINING LAB • CONSULTANTS (RECOVERY)

19. THE NEW NORMAL RE-EVALUATION • THE PLAN IS NEVER PERFECT. • ADJUST YOUR PROCESSES TO REALITY. CHANGE MANAGEMENT • KNOWLEDGE SHARE • CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO PROCESSES MORALE • TEAM MORALE • END USER MORALE (RECOVERY)

20. ERP

21. I WILL SURVIVE!