Erp Methodologies
ERP Implémentation Méthodologies
Paul Bruges
A methodology is a roadmap to an implementation. The purpose of a methodology is to deliver an implementation on time, according to specifications and within budget. Most vendors, especially in the software industry, have developed their own methodologies. Consulting companies also developed their own methodologies in relation to a product. Vendors primarily use methodologies as a marketing tool in order to alleviate the fears of the upper management when they are considering implementing a major software application (Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management…). Nowadays, ERP methodologies are beyond just marketing tools. They are now useful because vendors have gained from experience, and these methodologies have lived through several generations. Methodologies are now applied and used by project managers and their teams. If we just look at the ERP methodologies: they range from vendor-specific methodologies, such as “AcceleratedSAP” (ASAP) from SAP, to consulting firm products such as “The Total Solution” from Ernst & Young LLP and the “Fast Track Workplan” from Deloitte & Touche. First, let’s take a closer look at a these ERP methodologies: AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) The ASAP Roadmap is a detailed project plan by SAP that describes all activities in an implementation. It includes the entire technical area to support technical project management and address things like interfaces, data conversions and authorizations earlier than in most traditional implementations.
The ASAP Roadmap consists of five phases: * Project Preparation, * Business Blueprint, * Realization, * Final Preparation and, * Go live and support continuous change.
ASAP provides examples, checklists, or templates as samples. They are used as a starting point to avoid "reinventing the wheel." ASAP calls these things “Accelerators.” Phase 1 - Project Preparation:
Paul Bruges
A methodology is a roadmap to an implementation. The purpose of a methodology is to deliver an implementation on time, according to specifications and within budget. Most vendors, especially in the software industry, have developed their own methodologies. Consulting companies also developed their own methodologies in relation to a product. Vendors primarily use methodologies as a marketing tool in order to alleviate the fears of the upper management when they are considering implementing a major software application (Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management…). Nowadays, ERP methodologies are beyond just marketing tools. They are now useful because vendors have gained from experience, and these methodologies have lived through several generations. Methodologies are now applied and used by project managers and their teams. If we just look at the ERP methodologies: they range from vendor-specific methodologies, such as “AcceleratedSAP” (ASAP) from SAP, to consulting firm products such as “The Total Solution” from Ernst & Young LLP and the “Fast Track Workplan” from Deloitte & Touche. First, let’s take a closer look at a these ERP methodologies: AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) The ASAP Roadmap is a detailed project plan by SAP that describes all activities in an implementation. It includes the entire technical area to support technical project management and address things like interfaces, data conversions and authorizations earlier than in most traditional implementations.
The ASAP Roadmap consists of five phases: * Project Preparation, * Business Blueprint, * Realization, * Final Preparation and, * Go live and support continuous change.
ASAP provides examples, checklists, or templates as samples. They are used as a starting point to avoid "reinventing the wheel." ASAP calls these things “Accelerators.” Phase 1 - Project Preparation:
References: Peter Rob and Carlos Coronel, Database Management Systems, Fifth Edition, Boston, MA: Course Technology, 2002. Boudreau & Robey, Organizational Transition to ERP Systems: Theoretical Choices for Process Research, ACM, 2000. Ciborra & Hanseth, Toward a Contingency View of Infrastructure and Knowledge: an Exploratory Study, International Conference on Information Systems , Proceedings of the international conference on Information systems, Helsinki, Finland, 1998. Sumner, Risk Factors in Enterprise Wide Information Management Systems Projects, ACM, 2000.