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As the president and chairman of an ERP implementation. Their con- 5) A business blueprint is the second
cern is understandable; ERP imple- mentations are complicated, expensive and risky. Even more nerve-wracking? A CIO’s personal job security might be negatively affected by how he handles the project.
After years of similar conversations and hundreds of implementations, I have amassed a top-ten list of what every CIO should know about ERP implementations:
1) ERP is about your business, not
the technology.
2) ERP initiatives are very challeng-
ing.
3) Selecting the right software is the
first step in a successful ERP
implementation.
4) No ERP software is perfect. All have
their strengths, weaknesses and tradeoffs.
an independent ERP consulting
firm that guides organizations through ERP and IT software selection, implementation and organizational change initiatives, I often am in meet- ings with chief information officers (CIOs) nervous about embarking on
Eric Kimberling is president and chair- man of Panorama Consulting Solu- tions; www.panorama-consulting.com. Eric’s background includes extensive ERP software selection, ERP organiza- tional change and implementation project management.
Eric will present a keynote address titled, “ERP Implementation Boot Camp,” at The Manufacturing ERP Experience, August 23-24 in Chicago, IL. Learn more and register to attend at www.metalformingmagazine.com/ERP.
step to an effective ERP imple-
mentation.
6) Business-process reengineering
should happen before, not after,
you implement your ERP software. 7) Your project will fail without ade- quate organizational change man-
agement.
8) Executive buy-in and support is
critical to ERP success.
9) There is no “one size fits all” ERP
strategy.
10) In addition to planning, imple-
mentation also is about execution.
Hammering Home the Critical Points
While I don’t have room to expand each of these tips individually in this piece, it is helpful to hammer home a few of the more absolutely critical
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/August 2011
What Every CIO Should Know About
ERP
Implementations
BY ERIC KIMBERLING