Project Management
ERP Implementation Go-Live Checklist
A lot can go wrong when an ERP system goes live. That’s why we’ve created our 9-step ERP implementation go-live checklist for a smooth, seamless go-live. Critical severity defects, security holes and other technical problems can cause disruption, wreak havoc on operations, bring your business to a dead stop, and even result in multi-million-dollar lawsuits. With careful planning and process, however, your go-live can be a smooth, seamless experience.
The Third Deadly Sin of ERP Implementation: Excluding Critical ERP Users from the Process
The IT department and the C-suite do not own (and may never interact with) your core business processes. So the project team should include key people—end users and functional managers—from across your organization who are regularly involved in those processes.
What Does it Take to Effectively Negotiate an ERP Contract?
Many of the manufacturing and distribution teams we speak with dread negotiating an ERP contract.
While this task comes at the end of business process improvement, technology evaluation and selection, we certainly understand the fear and trepidation project teams might experience when anticipating this task.
Making the Case for Business Process Improvement in 2020
Thinking ahead to 2020? Making the case for Business Process Improvement (BPI) is likely on your mind.
How to Overcome User Resistance to ERP
For today’s manufacturing and distribution organization looking to transition from the status quo of legacy systems to modern ERP, it doesn’t get much bigger than evaluating, selecting and implementing a new ERP solution.
Is Your ERP Project on Hold? 6 Things to Do While You Wait
Stalled enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects can be a significant challenge for organizations, potentially disrupting business operations and leading to wasted resources. But with your project on hold, it’s critical to minimize the impact and regain your momentum. In this blog post, we will explore 6 steps that can help effectively address stalled projects and ensure a successful outcome.
Resources to Help Manage Risk During an ERP Project
It’s a challenge for project teams to manage risk during an ERP project. We know as an independent ERP consulting firm with extensive experience in ERP selection and implementation projects that no enterprise software implementation project comes without some risk.
What’s the Best Approach to Project Management and ERP Implementation?
What’s the best approach to project management and ERP? As an independent ERP consulting firm, Ultra has guided manufacturers with project management leadership for hundreds of enterprise software projects over the years.
Stories From the Field: Evans Food Group Acquisitions Require Rapid ERP Deployments
Evans Food Group Ltd. had just finished its complex – and successful – Ultra Consultants-managed ERP transformation in May 2017 when the Chicago-based company experienced major changes.
The Second Deadly Sin of ERP Implementation: Less-Than-Thorough ERP Requirements Gathering
Organizations invest in an ERP software system to enable greater execution and efficiency. So it makes no sense to implement a solution that simply automates your existing systems and processes.
Mounting an ERP Recovery Effort? Check Out These Resources
We hear from many manufacturing and distribution teams about ERP project failures and how to mount an ERP recovery. Based on our depth and breadth of experience with enterprise technology implementation projects, we know what a failed project looks like and we know how to avoid it. Here is a roundup of recent blog posts on the subject of what it takes to mount an ERP recovery effort.
Be Wary of 4 Types of ERP Implementation Risk During Solution Discovery
Do you need to fear ERP implementation risks? No matter the size of the organization, it’s not uncommon for teams to consider their previous ERP implementation a failure. In fact, Gartner has found that approximately 75 percent of all ERP projects fail, despite the industry’s focus on delivering better customer service and advanced IT systems.
Greater Efficiency Requires Organizational Change: Case Study
Pacific Plumbing Supply is a 71-year-old, family-owned and operated company, with 14 branch locations and 200 employees. “We weren’t looking to spend the kind of money it would take to implement a modern ERP solution,” Stafford continued, “but we understood that the ROI is in new capabilities and new tools we can use to operate more efficiently.”
Choosing the Right ERP Implementation Methodology for Your Enterprise
In the last few years, we have seen two different implementation methodologies emerge. When buying a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, you should make sure you understand the ERP implementation process proposed by the vendor or re-seller and its pros and cons.
The Sixth Deadly Sin of ERP Implementation
Today’s business landscape is ever changing. Therefore, for any successful implementation of any change initiative, organizational buy-in is crucial for success. Without the support and commitment of employees at all levels, even the most well-planned and strategic changes can face resistance and ultimately fail.
Stories from the Field: Milbank Leverages ERP to Boost Productivity and Margins
Thanks to technological advances in the industry, the global smart meters market is expected to grow from $20.7 billion in 2020 to $28.6 billion by 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 6.7 percent. For companies at the forefront, it’s a chance to gain ground and boost revenue.
Setting a Budget for ERP? Keep These Top 10 Factors in Mind
Many of the mid-market manufacturing and distribution organizations we team with are thinking of setting a budget for ERP, especially those organizations entering into a new fiscal year.
5 Change Management Strategies for an ERP Project
Implementing or upgrading an ERP system is a good opportunity for a manufacturer to create lasting business change within an organization. That’s why effective change management is key to getting the most from your enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation.
Starting an ERP Project? Why do a Current State Assessment?
Why do a current state assessment before leaping into an implementation? ERP project teams ready to embark on a new or upgraded enterprise technology project are often eager to jump immediately to vendor demos to see the latest and greatest in new tech. Based on years of experience and hundreds of implementations, the independent ERP consultant team at Ultra recommend a business process improvement strategy that begins as you evaluate your current state.
Why is Effective ERP Project Organization Critical to Success?
As an independent ERP consulting firm, the topic of ERP project organization comes up often as manufacturing and distribution teams look to Ultra to understand the best way to work through enterprise system evaluation and selection to improve key processes.
How to Find the Best Independent ERP Consultant
As an organization, finding the best independent ERP consultant is always a difficult task. With so many consultants touting their expertise, it is challenging to discern who can deliver the results your company needs. This is how Ultra Consultants stands out.
Remote Management Expertise Key to Successful ERP Projects Amid Pandemic
As U.S. companies continue the transition to remote work, possibly for the long term, ERP project teams continue to face significant challenges in management, coordination, communication and collaboration. And organizations that planned to start a much-needed ERP project are wondering whether to proceed or wait until the day – Sometime next year? – when their people can return to the office.
Your 7-Part Checklist for a Winning ERP Implementation Project Kickoff
Why do you need an ERP implementation checklist?
We’ve all heard the expression “don’t put the cart before the horse” which warns us against placing tasks or items in the wrong order.
Overcoming Remote Work and Other Challenges
The rapid spread of COVID-19 means that we’ve all seen new challenges in our companies. We at Ultra Consultants are largely a remote workforce, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t also experience some difficulties.
Starting an ERP Project? Start Here
For most ERP project teams, starting an ERP project is a daunting task. It’s common for selection teams to get pulled into a variety of directions, often losing focus because they are responding to pressing demands and fighting for internal resources to drive effective ERP selection.