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Popular Articles
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Articles in category: Project Management
Can ERP Systems be Used to Drive Innovation?
Explore ERP Software Selection
Organizations that have implemented ERP systems have long complained that deployments are too costly, time consuming and risky, so it is pretty rare that organizations look at ways to leverage enterprise software to drive innovation. Indeed, without the right expertise and guidance, ERP implementations can be difficult, even without the grand ambition of driving innovation.
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Five Signs of Executive Misalignment on Your ERP Implementation
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Executive buy-in and support is one of the key success factors for any ERP implementation. Without it, your ERP project has very little chance of success. With it, your initiative has the ability to completely transform your business.
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Employee Engagement: A Critical Component of ERP Success
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Running an ERP implementation can be like taming a monster. Options for configuration are typically in the hundreds or thousands, data migration is often a nightmare, and customization and integration can quickly derail any project. These are just a few contributing root causes of summary data outlined in our 2012 ERP Report.
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The Case For – and Against – Erp Customization
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When it comes to ERP systems, the word “customization” is one of the most dreaded terms that an executive hears. In fact, I would estimate that at least 90-percent of Panorama’s ERP selection clients indicate a strong preference for zero or no customization. In other words, most CIOs and CFOs want to use the system out of the box without making any changes to the software code. There will always be configuration and personalization, which every ERP implementation requires, but when it comes to heavy-duty changes to the software, most executives don’t want to hear about it.
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SAP debuts Financials OnDemand
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SAP announced it is finally wading into the SaaS financials market with its new SAP Financials OnDemand.
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Predictive analytics software: SAP or 'best-of-breed'?
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SAP makes a strong case for its new BusinessObjects Predictive Analytics software, but it's not a universal fit for all SAP shops, according to experts.
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Where Does Agile Fit in SAP Projects?
After offering insight based on my personal experiences around “Agile Project Methods for SAP ERP Projects?” I thought it would be helpful to highlight a couple of areas where Agile does work.
- Development efforts (i.e. coding)
- Data conversions
Once you begin to move very far beyond these two areas you quickly encounter dependent work streams that need much more coordination. Those additional dependencies make it difficult to apply Agile methods beyond development and data conversions.
While Agile tends to emphasize the 1 week to 1 month “sprint,” I would define a “sprint” in more of a completed requirements and planning package rather than a pure time-box approach.
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Mentions: SAP
Scrum: Even Better Than Getting Slapped
Very few people in the world, I’m quite certain, can truthfully describe themselves as productive. The internet has opened the door for both massive productivity and massive procrastination. Given the two options, most people choose the latter, and I don’t blame them. When nobody’s watching, it’s human nature to take the easier option.
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Why do Projects Fail?
We can probably all think of projects that have "failed" – perhaps processes got worse rather than better, maybe they were cancelled because of cost overruns, or perhaps systems were launched with fundamental errors.
How do you know when – and why – a project has failed? In many cases, the reason for failure is obvious. However, the definition of failure isn't always clear: one project with a significant delay might be described as a failure; yet another, with a similar delay, might be seen as a stunning success.
In this article, we'll define project failure, and explore the factors that cause some projects to fail.
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Agile Software Development for Sap Erp Projects?
Looking at the “Agile Manifesto” and how Agile methods are applied generally involves small, discrete, “digestible” work and task components. Trying to juggle the number and complexity of dependencies on a full scale SAP ERP project involves management and coordination efforts which completely go against the idea of Agile methods.
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Mentions: SAP
McKinsey Report Highlights Failure of Large Projects: why it is better to be small, particularly in IT
A recent set of studies published by McKinsey Quarterly provides further evidence that the bigger they are the harder they fall. Given that the McKinsey Quarterly’s audience is predominantly business executives rather than IT professionals, it’s important that CIOs are aware of the findings and have a reasonable response. Large projects not only fail more often they deliver less.
According to the McKinsey/Oxford study half of IT projects with budgets of over $15 million dollars run 45% over budget, are 7% behind schedule and deliver 56% less functionality than predicted. That means that: At least half the time — achieving at least $15 million in benefits, requires spending $59 million Obvious answers to an obvious question The report goes onto suggest four disciplines that McKinsey calls “value assurance” and contains something that CIOs already understand.
The four disciplines include:
- Managing stakeholders rather than budgets and schedules
- Securing critical internal and external talent
- Building effective and aligned teams
- Excelling at core project-management practices, such as short delivery cycles and rigorous quality checks
Each of these ‘value assurance’ disciplines is self evident for large and complex projects. CIOs know that they need to manage stakeholders, get the right people, put ...
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Five Reasons Why Business Process Reengineering Should Happen Before Your ERP Implementation
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You come across it all the time. You read it on the ERP vendor websites, you hear it from ERP software sales reps, and you see it in proposals: “Don’t worry about business process reengineering – our ERP software will tell you how your processes should work.”
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Mentions: SAP
Kenyan IT gurus to get training from top notch firm
Kenyan graduates studying Information Technology will now be able to undergo free high level SAP certification training thanks to a three year partnership between the Kenya ICT Board and leading enterprise application software provider SAP. The training program dubbed “SAP Skills for Africa” is aimed at improving the employability of university graduates. The program will begin in January with the enrolment of 100 students who can start applying in October and Kenya ICT
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Mentions: SAP Africa Africa SAP
Lean ERP: What It is and How to Make It Work
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ERP implementations more often than not run counter-intuitive to lean concepts. While lean and Six Sigma cultures focus on reducing waste and non-value-add activities, most ERP implementations are bloated with inefficiencies and cost overruns.
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Risk Management of Capital Projects
At a time when large capital projects are becoming more necessary as a path to growth in certain industries, they are also prone to a greater range of risks. Accenture believes that mastering capital project risk management will give companies involved in such projects increased capacity to minimize these risks and maximize the benefits. Accenture identifies the four foundations for attaining mastery of capital project risk management.
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Moving data between systems? Think DSM
If you have never worked with DSM before, read on – it could just save your project! If you’re considering a system split, or carve-out, or there’s a merger or acquisition looming, see what DSM offers before settling on any alternative approach. For the past 10 years, Data Sync Manager (DSM) from EPI-USE Labs has led the pack in the area of “downstream” copying of data, i.e. from Production to a test system. However, not many people are aware of its powerful capabilities when it comes to moving data into Production.
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Mentions: South Africa SAP
Is Cloud Ringing the Death Toll for ERP? « ERP the Right Way!
Cloud computing is here to stay, but what does that mean for those who sell and implement ERP solutions today? First, it means that there is a new way in which business software solutions are being purchased and consumed, and that means resellers need to pay close attention to the way they run their business. Secondly, it means that if ERP companies wish to remain in the game, they need to make some significant changes. Cloud on its own doesn’t affect the validity of ERP. Businesses still requir
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The Sap Bpc Implementation Ecosystem
Recently, I've been invited by several companies who have attempted to implement SAP BPC, and have run into problems, to take over their implementation project in order to turn it around and make it a success. This has given me unique insight into why those projects have gotten into a parlous state.
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CIO and CFO Hunger Games: The Risks and Rewards of Rapid ERP Implementations
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ERP implementations are a lot like the “Hunger Games” for CIOs, CFOs and other executives tasked with making their ERP projects successful. For those that aren’t familiar with the novel or movie,Hunger Games is predicated on a story where two children from each “district” of a futuristic United States are expected literally to fight to death.
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New society for SAP professionals in Australia formed
A group of SAP professionals in Australia, frustrated with the current models for recruiting and resourcing trained SAP staff, have banded together to form the Australian Society of SAP Professionals (ASSP). Keith Wallis, head of solutions, strategy and development, TAMS and one of the founders of the ASSP, said many of those working in the sector are disappointed with the calibre of consultants being placed on SAP projects, and feel that there needs to be more regulation of the market, as the skills shortage has led to recruitment and rates getting out of control.
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How to Sell an ERP Implementation or Upgrade to Your Boss
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Managers are often the first people who see need for a new or better ERP system. They field inquiries from customers, complaints from staff members and demands from the executive level — all of which, seemingly, would be easier to mitigate or manage with a well-functioning ERP system.
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Thoughts on Enterprise Architecture and Project Management
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The current economic and employment environments notwithstanding, things still look pretty good for project managers. They are being kept on, and are still getting hired, because organizations are still ultra-cautious about spending money and getting critical projects completed as near to planned time and budget as possible. Salaries for PMs are continuing to be solid as well.
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Coming to Terms With ERP Customisation
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Everyone knows that a bespoke solution — be it in building architecture, clothing design or exercise routines — is a better option than the off-the-rack alternative. Sure it’s more expensive, but the payoff is almost always worth it. So why do so many organisations balk at the idea of customizing their ERP systems?
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Common Mistakes in Moving Offshore to Nearshore
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Just as moving an entire household or company across the country can be a pain for everyone involved, moving minor and/or major projects from offshore to nearshore vendors brings numerous challenges right alongside the numerous benefits.
In the exciting rush of transitioning your projects to a vendor that is 1 or 2 time zones and a short plane ride away, it is easy to overlook details. As we have discovered over the years, the following pitfalls can really throw a monkey wrench in that move.
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