Business System Implementation

Here’s the Question:

The corporation has identified that they need to replace their business systems with an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as SAP, Baan, Oracle, J.D. Edwards or Peoplesoft.
Smaller businesses might choose QuickBooks, Peachtree, Jonas or Great Plains. The industry experience for successful implementation has been less than 25%. How can your company improve their odds of a smooth, effective implementation that gets done on-time, under-budget and returns the expected results?

The SCS Solution:

  • Our contention is that implementing an ERP system means automating business practices. Confusion can not be automated.
    The corporation has to want to bring discipline to how they conduct business before they implement an ERP system. The best way to do that is by defining how decisions are made in terms of planning and scheduling. Planning and scheduling requires - definition of their respective policies and processes; analyses of supply chain parameters; and sometimes, advanced technologies to handle a complex supply chain and/or product mix.
  • Supply Chain Systems, Inc. has the understanding, experience and technologies to handle your unique situation. We specialize in bringing simplicity to the most complex industries. Our associates have an average of 15 years of experience. The technology we deploy is superior to anything you will find. Our belief is that the technology should fit your business strategy, not the other way around, and provide a competitive edge.

The SCS Methodology:

  1. Ensure that top management actively participates in the project from start to finish.
  2. Determine the scope of the project to fit within the resources available (including budget) and the time required.
  3. Make functional leaders responsible for their respective parts of the project.
  4. Work with senior management to define supply chain policies that articulate how the business should operate.
    The policies describe how to setup the parameters in the ERP system and are necessary for consistent long-term performance. They clearly describe how to service customer requirements.
  5. Define a discipline process for planning resources.
    Map the tactical planning process the business will use; develop tactical planning models that monitor and plan critical resources; and implement Sales & Operational Planning teams that will manage the process.
  6. Implement a rigorous process for generating feasible production schedules.Map the operational planning process and develop finite capacity scheduling models that schedule production and plan inventories.
  7. Use the policies and process maps to identify the management reports that will be used for monitoring and improving critical parts of the business.
  8. Determine the data elements and data sources that will provide planning models, scheduling models and management reports with the information they require. Develop plan for building a data warehouse and interfaces (as needed) to legacy systems and the new ERP system throughout the phased start-up.
  9. Delineate the parts of the ERP system and determine the order that these parts can be implemented. Form implementation teams consisting of business representatives, functional representatives, IT personnel and system knowledgeable people. Assign business representative to be the team leader.
  10. Develop implementation schedule and rigorously raise critical success factor problems to appropriate senior management so they get resolved quickly.
  11. Conduct Gap Analysis between functionality that will be implemented and system capability. Be willing to modify implementation plan as specific functionality appears more critical.

Supply Chain Systems, Inc.
info@supply-chain-systems.com
http://supply-chain-systems.com 
305-216-6377