When an ERP Partner delivers new functionality, the customer needs to test it. However, competing priorities, busy decision-makers and unfinished data preparation can leave the Partner waiting.
Tom Doran, Partner and CIO at VCIO Global, says ERP implementation success depends on customers taking responsibility for their side of the project.
Speaking with Rick McCutcheon on PartnerTalks, Doran explained how independent IT leadership helps businesses work more effectively with their technology Partners.
Where ERP projects run into trouble
“Where do these projects go off the rails? Typically it’s data and testing,” Doran said.
Customers sometimes underestimate the work they need to complete during implementation. For example, a Partner might deliver functionality for testing, only to discover that the customer hasn’t reviewed it. Meanwhile, other business priorities take precedence, and key employees become unavailable.
Doran’s team works with customers to establish realistic expectations for their data, agree on project scope and maintain a disciplined testing schedule.
Furthermore, as PartnerTalks previously reported on ERP data management, decisions made during discovery can affect migration, reporting, testing and ongoing data governance.
Doran also recognizes that Partners sometimes fall short. When that happens, his team addresses the problem directly with the provider.
The role of independent IT leadership
Many smaller businesses lack the internal leadership needed to manage complex technology projects. Instead, Doran said, they often assign IT responsibilities to someone in accounting, purchasing or another department.
Consequently, they may struggle to develop a long-term technology strategy or coordinate multiple service providers.
VCIO Global addresses that problem through fractional IT leadership. Its technology assessments begin with interviews involving business leaders and key users. Rather than starting with software requirements, Doran first asks what the business wants to accomplish.
His team then examines existing systems and interviews the company’s technology providers. The resulting assessment helps identify opportunities to improve current systems or introduce new ones.
Importantly, Doran prefers working with incumbent Partners when possible. Replacing an existing provider or system introduces additional risk, so his team first examines whether the current relationship can meet the customer’s needs.
Why ERP implementation success requires change management
Dynamics GP migrations demonstrate why technology decisions require more than technical expertise.
Doran works with businesses that have relied on GP for 10 or 20 years. Their employees know the software and have developed familiar processes around it. Understandably, replacing that system can create anxiety.
Rather than relying on the approaching end of GP support to motivate customers, Doran recommends examining the business case for migration.
His team identifies inefficiencies, estimates potential returns and assesses operational risks. One question helps business leaders understand the financial implications: How long can their company afford to operate without its ERP system?
That discussion establishes a basis for capital planning while giving employees time to prepare for operational changes.
“Look, we’re in a people business. We just happen to use technology,” Doran said.
For Microsoft Partners, independent IT leadership introduces another participant into the customer relationship. Doran’s experience suggests that the arrangement can help both parties meet their commitments, resolve disagreements and keep implementations moving.
