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Project Management & ERP implementation

Our project management team will assit your team and take care of your project in order to optimize every step and ensure the quality as well as accelerate the implementation

Eben Batman has Robin, let us help you success with your ERP implementation

Historically, the projects where most human and monetary resources are dedicated in a company are the implementations of integrated systems, commonly called ERP.

Can you imagine letting the tax authorities do our accounting and decide how much tax we pay? This is what we are doing when we implement an ERP system.
In spite of the enormous cost involved, there are rarely the necessary resources, human and knowledge, within the company to carry out a project of this magnitude. There is no counterweight within the organisation, we consciously or unconsciously delegate all the tasks to the implementer. Which in the best of cases is at least moderately aligned with our interests.

What are the benefits of using our services ?

Phases of an ERP implentation project

  1. Planning Phase: In this phase, the project team outlines the objectives, requirements, scope, timelines, and budget of the ERP project.
  2. Analysis Phase: In this phase, the team analyzes the current business processes, identifies gaps, and determines the requirements for the ERP system.
  3. Design Phase: In this phase, the team designs the ERP system based on the analysis phase and creates a blueprint of the system.
  4. Development Phase: In this phase, the team develops the ERP system, configures it according to the business requirements, and performs customizations and integrations.
  5. Testing Phase: In this phase, the team tests the ERP system to ensure that it meets the business requirements, is error-free, and is ready for deployment.
  6. Deployment Phase: In this phase, the team deploys the ERP system in the production environment, trains the end-users, and prepares for system go-live.
  7. Post-Implementation Phase: In this phase, the team provides ongoing support and maintenance to the ERP system, monitors its performance, and makes necessary updates and enhancements

Frequently asked questions about ERP implementation

ERP implementation can be a complex and overwhelming process for any organization. Here are some commonly asked questions about ERP implementation to help you navigate the process.

The total costs of an ERP implementation are strongly oriented towards the size and complexity of your ERP project. Nevertheless, the costs are often greatly underestimated in advance and not considered in their entirety.

On the one hand, a distinction must be made between „internal“ and „external“ costs. Internal costs are the non-negligible expenses in the planning phase (process analysis, definition of requirements, selection process, contract design with possible legal advice and the decision-making process), as well as the internal resource expenses during the entire implementation.

The main costs are in the acquisition of licences, the number of modules, the configuration and migration and, of course, the consulting of the implementation partner.

However, expenses that are often not taken into account are costs for individual adjustments in the system, training of staff, maintenance and system updates, further consulting services, change management and a project management office (PMO).

Visible: Hardware, licences, migration, configuration, in the broad sense consulting costs of the implementer (depending on the contract structure, fixed price vs. time & material).

Invisible: customising in the running project, training, maintenance, manufacturer support, external consulting, working time of the project team, project management, IT support, updates, performance, energy costs, costs for data protection and security, infrastructure, interfaces, other incidental acquisition costs (e.g. rent of meeting rooms, equipment of project offices etc.).

We help our clients to avoid unnecessary costs

Our ERP specialists have already accompanied many projects and therefore know exactly which wrong decisions companies make when introducing an ERP system often lead to avoidable costs. In a personal meeting, our ERP consultants will be happy to show you how we can support you with the ERP implementation and In the previous paragraph you will find reasons why it often happens that budgets are not sufficient.

Through our experience, we help you to avoid hidden costs in order to always have a transparent view of your budget. Among other things through

  • Complete budgeting (visible / invisible costs),
  • Budget progress monitoring and
  • Scope management.

Not every ERP solution offers the same advantages and fits your company. Therefore, every ERP implementation is unique and the implementation time depends on different factors:

  • Company size and number of users
  • Diversity of business units, locations and languages
  • Condition and the existing system
  • Number of interfaces to other systems
  • Resource availability
  • Maturity of the processes involved
  • Qualification and experience level of staff
  • Willingness of key users to cooperate
  • Dependencies on other companies, e.g. parent company
  • Willingness and ability to invest
  • Existing data quality
  • Clearly defined scope

In our experience, however, it can be said that the introduction of an ERP system usually takes between 6 months and 2 years, depending on the factors mentioned above.

Companies often have high expectations and a whole range of different requirements for the system landscape, which has often grown historically. The interfaces between the ERP solution and other important applications play a central role. Such ERP connections are always necessary, for example, when several programmes are used within the company and data must be exchanged between them.

Frequently, interfaces must be established to systems such as

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Human Capital Management (HCM)
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
Production Data Acquisition (PDA) and Personnel Time Recording (PDC)
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
Business Intelligence (BI)
Electronic data exchange (e.g. DATEV or ELSTER)
E-commerce and online shop connections
Electronic payment transactions

Legacy Systems

There are several methods to implement an ERP system, and the choice of method will depend on various factors, such as the size and complexity of the organization, the budget, and the timeframe. Here are some of the most common methods:

  1. Big Bang implementation: This involves implementing the entire ERP system at once, with all modules going live simultaneously. This method requires a significant amount of planning and resources, but it can be the quickest way to get the entire system up and running.
  2. Phased implementation: This involves implementing the ERP system in phases, with each module being implemented separately. This method allows for a more gradual transition and can be less disruptive to the organization’s operations.
  3. Parallel implementation: This involves running both the existing system and the new ERP system at the same time for a period of time, to ensure that the new system is working correctly before fully replacing the old system.
  4. Pilot implementation: This involves implementing the new ERP system in a smaller section or department of the organization first, to test the system and work out any issues before rolling it out to the entire organization.
  5. Hybrid implementation: This involves using a combination of the above methods, such as a phased implementation with a pilot implementation in one department.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method will depend on the organization’s specific needs and circumstances.

As a rule, there is no one right way to implement ERP systems. It must always be agreed with the implementation partner what is the right approach for the company. Basically, two essential methods from project management can be differentiated, the „classic“ or „traditional“ variant, also called the „waterfall method“ and the „agile“ method. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, depending on the application.

Traditional project management / waterfall method

This is a plan-driven project process. Goals are defined at the beginning and plans are drawn up to achieve them. It is characterised by firmly defined project phases, each of which is run through once and is often graphically represented in the form of a waterfall. The waterfall model is suitable for projects in which the requirements are clear and complete from the beginning and in which few changes are expected.

Agile project management

Agile project management is not a concrete methodology, but a collective term for various project management methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban. These follow an iterative approach in which (partial) results are delivered at short intervals and rapid feedback is obtained from stakeholders. These manageable sections allow for a quick response to changing requirements.

Hybrid approach

When implementing ERP systems, many providers are now moving towards a „hybrid solution“, i.e. combining the best of both worlds due to the usually large scope of such projects. The planning and conceptual design phase then usually starts in the classic approach and becomes increasingly iterative in the course of implementation.

The „Go Live“ has taken place and the system has been successfully implemented? The users are satisfied and the management’s goals have been achieved? Then we are done now, aren’t we? NO, you are not! Don’t worry, you don’t need to introduce a new system every 4 years. You can say that you have a system in place for a period of 10 – 15 years

This system and especially the processes need to be maintained. This means that on the one hand there has to be someone who takes over the maintenance of the system, updates it, adapts reports and forms, programmes workflows or connects new systems. On the other hand, the processes have to be maintained, i.e. something will certainly change in your company in the course of the above-mentioned 10 – 15 years. Be it new departments, products or simply adjustments to market developments. But all this must also be changed in the system. Here, a „translation“ from the process to the IT is needed.

Another, almost existential factor is data quality. Quality assurance should be established for the master and transaction data. Only with correct, clean data can an ERP system be operated effectively and used efficiently.

  • Poor requirements specification and specification sheet
  • Weak project management (methodical and/or human)
  • Inadequate change management (organisational, cultural)
  • Lack of commitment from management
  • Employees were not taken seriously and included

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