4 Common Mistakes when Assembling an ERP Project Team

A first-class ERP team will help any business move along successfully with their ERP project. But select or manage your project team poorly and you will have set your project up to fail. So what are some of the common mistakes businesses make when assembling the project team?

1. Not Representing All Functional Areas of the Business

Remember the “E” stands for “enterprise”. Try to have a representative from every functional area of the business on your ERP team. Even if the perfect person doesn’t work in a particular department, select a representative anyway. With some guidance from the project manager, they will prove to be a valuable asset who can improve communication and buy-in for your project.

2. Expecting a Part-Time Project Leader to Manage the Project

None of us can serve two bosses. Either the project or the “day job” will be shortchanged. This mistake is common at smaller organizations but even the biggest enterprises try this sometimes. The project leader will have their own project tasks and will have to manage a wide range of tasks performed by every function. The leader must serve on the steering committee. They are the day-to-day representative communicating with the consultants and the ERP vendor. The leader must ensure the project stays on track and request backup from the executive sponsor before problems arise. This must be a full-time job for as long as the project lasts.

3. A Hands-off Executive Sponsor

The executive sponsor is the go-between linking the project manager and the executives on the steering committee. This person must actively work with the ERP project leader ensuring that the project stays on course. This person adds executive clout when misunderstandings between consultants and the ERP team arise. The sponsor also keeps the company vision in front of the project team so they don’t get lost in the forest. The job is too important to be hands-off.

4. Depending Too Much on an ERP Consultant

Every member of the ERP team has a role to play and they must have the courage to play these roles. The project team makes or breaks the project and the consultant’s role is to be an advisor. The consultant has worked on many projects and their advice is important. But they have never before worked on your ERP project in your business. If a team member is unhappy with any aspect of the ERP project, they must feel free to raise this issue and must be encouraged to develop a solution. The consultant is there to answer your ERP team’s questions, but the must not become a go-to solution for all project problems - apart from everything else, this would cost you a fortune in billables.