How can ERP teams ensure they solve the right problems?

Having an impact assessment on the problem raised is important. Human nature means that some people will be inclined to complain long and loud over a fairly minor issue, and others will be more reticent despite a major issue having arisen. Digest the opinions provided but form your own unbiased conclusions as to what is a showstopper or critical bottleneck, and what is less critical.

Design Thinking tools prove useful when it comes to accurately identifying and addressing the genuine challenges faced by ERP users, ultimately leading to optimal solutions through collaborative discussions. Additionally, 'ethnographic research' helps in uncovering opportunities for system enhancements. This ethnographic approach allows us to delve deep into user experiences, gaining valuable insights that can drive meaningful system improvements.

Ensuring that an ERP implementation team solves the right problems is crucial for the success of the project. Here are some key steps and best practices to help ERP teams in this regard: 1. Define Clear Objectives: 2. Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Analysis: 3. Involve Key Stakeholders: 4. Prioritize Issues: 5. Conduct Gap Analysis: 6. Customize ERP to Fit Your Needs: 7. Change Management: 8. Monitor and Iterate: 9. Post-Implementation Review: 10. Continuous Improvement: By following these steps and maintaining a focus on clear objectives and stakeholder involvement, ERP teams can increase the likelihood of solving the right problems and achieving the desired outcomes in their ERP implementation.

Generally what I have found useful to properly define a problem users might have with an ERP system is to simply organise a workshop with these users and let them explain the process and what they think the problem is. This allows me to properly understand the process (as an internal consultant you should already know this, but for me as an external consultant it's always helpful to understand exactly how a company has organised it's processes). It allows me to properly gauge the knowledge of the (key)user(s) and already understand if perhaps the problem is in a lack of knowledge (whatever the cause of that may be). Once I know the process and understand the problem it's easier for me to analyse the issue properly.

To solve the right problems, you must the problems are right... So 1> Listen carefully, document what is heard, engage with real users who are face to face with the problem. 2> Map it with business and ERP path, in short, align the problems to their respective goals of implementation (ERP, business) 2> Define the problem, in terms of nature, impact, relevance, and such parameters as applicable (SMART approach) 3> Discuss to resolve with the larger forum Solutions again must be clearly defined. Single or multiple steps, phased approach with strategic checkpoints and such...

Having the right stakeholders and owners will definitely help in understanding the problem and its root causes. Generally, by involving the wrong people and by not assigning clear ownership will create issues in the identification and solution of the problem.

In my experience Involving and collaborating with the right stakeholders is vital. All stakeholders have different perspectives, insights, and feedback. Three areas are essential: first, building rapport; second, staying strong; and third, posturing. Understanding their expectations and priorities is crucial. Above all, effective communication and well-captured meeting minutes are the main mediums. Efficient and effective communication is the key to success.

One thing I've found helpful is to involve stakeholders from various affected departments or functional areas. Their insights can provide a holistic view of the issue, preventing misinterpretation and ensuring that the proposed solutions align with the overall ERP project implementation and business goals.

Make sure you identify the correct stakeholders identify their goals address their needs and effectively lease wit h them to work on desire results.

If the stakeholder isn`t engaged, the implementation not gonna be as planned. People are the center of success and they are the path os a good or bad implementation.

Generating and evaluating alternatives is a critical step in the problem-solving process. It helps you explore a range of potential solutions before selecting the best one. Here's a systematic approach for generating and evaluating alternatives: Divergent Thinking Cross-Functional Teams Analyze Root Causes Benchmarking Use Problem-Solving Tools Idea Generation Sessions Mind Mapping Prototyping and Simulation Evaluating Alternatives: Define Evaluation Criteria Weight the Criteria Quantitative Analysis Qualitative Analysis Cost-Benefit Analysis Risk Assessment Feasibility Stakeholder Input Pareto Analysis Ranking and Scoring Scenario Analysis Final Selection Plan for Implementation

Generate and evaluate alternatives and work on addressing these needs make sure you align with them and ensure to address and evaluate the relevant stakeholders.

O ERP não deve buscar resolver problemas operacionais, para isso voce tem outras ferramentas específicas. O objetivo do ERP deve ser organizar os dados para atender a legislação fiscal e contábil. Muitos dos problemas com áreas de TI, projetos e negócios são relacionados ao erro fundamental causado no início, que é achar que o ERP é como uma solução mágica para tudo.

Alternative may be a better option or turn out bizzare. Once the problem is clear it's important to engage with experience experts, use heuristic, latest case studies, relative use cases & unbiased approach towards evaluating alternatives. A thorough list of metrics must be defined to derive appropriate ranks to each competitive alternatives to conclude this process.

One important point to consider when generating alternatives is to engage stakeholders, team members, subject matter experts to gather different perspectives in order to contribute with a more realistic list. On the other hand when evaluating alternatives is very important to perform an exhaustive Risk Assessment. Evaluate the risks associated with each alternative. Consider the potential risks and their impact on the ERP system , propose remediation processes or procedures which involve the steps taken to address, resolve, or mitigate issues or problems within an ERP system. When facing problems in an ERP system, a structured approach to remediation is crucial for effectively resolving issues and have a successful implementation.

This is very vital post go live. In business perspective an ERP project comes to a closure only at the attainment of the set expected business outcomes. This is where data analytics comes handy. Reports will help to a certain extent, however its more realistic to have dashboards that will appriciate the purpose of monitoring the outcomes and fine tuning the configurations in the ERP for alignment to the outcomes.

Make sure to effectively monitor the requirements then work on identifying the pattern with solutions make sure you understand contegencies.

A implementação deve ser algo meramente técnico. Não existe ERP customizável. O ERP deve ser qualquer coisa, menos customizável. Nesse sentido o plano de implementação é meramente técnico, deve ser executado e verificar se o servidor está funcionando.

Do not start at 100 miles an hour. If possible, start with a small sample size. Starting with a large portion of the process, routine, automation, or other solutions may lead to early failures that erode confidence. Starting small promotes adoption and builds confidence progressively over time.

Prioritize Problems: Once problems are identified, prioritize them based on their impact on business operations, financial implications, and alignment with strategic objectives. Prioritization can be done using techniques such as the MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have). Validate Solutions: Before implementing solutions, validate them with stakeholders to ensure they address the root causes of the identified problems and align with the organization's goals. Prototyping and pilot testing can be useful for validating proposed solutions. Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor the implemented solutions and evaluate their effectiveness in addressing the identified problems.

I would add that testing and validation is also a very important step in the problem-solving process. It should be part of any new solution or update to mitigate the risk of potential disruptions or new issues arising from the newly implemented changes.

Intensive and clear communication is of utmost importance when it comes to ERP problem-solving for: 1. Understanding requirements 2. Collaboration and teamwork 3. Managing expectations 4. Problem prioritization 5. Change management This can be ensured by: - Establishing regular communication channels. - Using a common language and terminology to ensure clear understanding. - Encourage active listening and open dialogue. - Document and share important information, decisions, and actions. - Provide training and support on effective communication techniques and tools. - Foster a culture of transparency, trust, and respect, where individuals feel comfortable sharing their views and asking questions.

This article supports quite well how ERP systems used to work: On-premise solutions with little connections to other systems. Deliver and monitor. But today, ERP systems are in the Cloud, updated continuously and integrated to many other systems. They live in a constantly changing environment. This changes completely how we have to approach the after-go-live. We go into maintenance mode. Now anything can go wrong anytime. API versions change, legislation changes, ... We have to require robustness in these solutions. We used to have testing every 5 years when a new version came. Now we need automated tests to run frequently. We need to require that our suppliers also have this robustness build-in. As Yolanda Garcia says, but automated.

The real point here for me is this: Transformation / ERP teams solve every problem / challenge that they come across for the client. Why, there is a solution to EVERY problem and challenge, no matter the organisation type / size / industry etc, you just have to FIND IT. If you have a team who you lead to be collaborative & openly, honestly & transparently communicate, who are trusted, respected, enabled & engaged then you will have an environment where you can get them to find / come up with the right solution, together. This is about motivating your team for success but also having their backs and supporting them. Enabling people to bring their best whole selves means you get the best from them, & that's how you solve any problem.

My top 3: 1. User Experience (UX) Research: Conduct UX research sessions with end-users. Use surveys, interviews, and usability testing to understand user frustrations and preferences. Analyze the feedback to prioritize features and improvements that directly address user needs. 2. Customer Journey Mapping: Map out the customer journey from inquiry to post-sales support. Identify touchpoints where customer interactions are suboptimal. 3. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Workshops: Organize RCA workshops to dig deep into recurring issues. Use techniques like the 5 Whys to uncover the root causes of problems rather than just addressing symptoms. This method ensures that solutions target underlying issues.