You might not want to think about it, but ERP failure happens every day. That is a lot of good intentions gone wrong, not to mention millions of dollars and thousands of hours wasted.
With failure rates this high, many organizations shy away from ERP implementations and decide that manual entries, three-ring binders, and legacy systems are preferable to starting an ERP project.
While ERP selection and implementation seems overwhelming at first, sometimes you just have to solider on – not alone, though. You always have the option of hiring an ERP consultant to provide ERP project oversight.
What is a Project Management Office (PMO)?
In a nutshell, a PMO is a small group of people who standardize and follow project management policies, processes, and methods to ensure a project is on time, within scope, and on budget.
By providing ERP project oversight, an outside PMO can make an ERP implementation a success and can also snatch a failing ERP implementation from the jaws of defeat.
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Why You Need ERP Project Oversight
1. A PMO’s Sole Job is to Ensure Project Success
In most organizations, an ERP implementation is among an array of tasks on an employee’s to-do list. While we always advise that certain employees be fully dedicated to the project, the reality at many companies is that employees must perform their day-to-day duties before they can contribute to any “side-projects.”
In contrast, all the tasks on a PMO’s to-do list relate to project success.
2. A PMO has Seen All the Scenarios Play Out Before
The best PMOs have many years of experience in a given industry, and they have worked with organizations of all sizes. These PMOs have real-world experience turning projects around, making strong personalities stand down, and walking uphill both ways on a sprained ankle carrying three laptops.
Because they have seen it all before, they know how to mitigate risks and prevent issues from becoming a serious situation.
3. A PMO Can Both Pull Rank and Ignore Rank
Because the PMO generally reports directly to the uppermost management, they are given wide latitude on whom they can talk to and what they can request.
This means they don’t have to work through the layers of management and office politics to accomplish tasks. The PMO can go straight to the source of information to get what they need, and if an employee won’t comply, the PMO will have upper management’s backing to persuade the employee to reconsider.
Rarely do internal employees, even internal PMOs, have this type of leverage because they usually must play within the parameters of organizational politics.
Who’s Keeping Your ERP Project on Track?
When you implement a new ERP system, you want the peace of mind that your project plan is solid and being executed with precision. This is where ERP project oversight becomes essential. This outside guidance can help you steer your team to the finish line where you’ll enjoy a functional system that your employees love.
Contact our ERP consultants below for a free consultation.
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