Streamline SAP B1 Implementation
Use an internal project manager to streamline your SAP Business One implementation
Looking to implement SAP Business One and wondering – what sort of project team do I require? Before we answer that question, a brief background. SAP Business One is designed with small to medium sized business in mind. A total ERP / Business Management solution, SAP Business One offers your business the opportunity to run a single application for everything from finance to purchasing, distribution, manufacturing, services, e-commerce, mobility and more.
When implementing SAP Business One most companies do not have internal IT department or endless internal resource that they can allocate to the implementation. As such resource needs to be carefully allocated between the SAP Business One partner and the customer. Each implementation of any ERP / business management solution is slightly different depending on factors like:
- Functional requirements
- Legal and fiscal requirements
- Number of users
- Budget allocated
- Reporting requirements
- Industry
- Data conversion requirements
- Legacy systems
These factors, and others, will dictate the resource requirements for your SAP Business One implementation project.
In most cases, even for straight forward implementations of SAP Business One your SAP partner will recommend project management. Having been involved in more than 200 SAP Business One projects over the past eleven years at Leverage Technologies, I highly recommend project management from your SAP Partner and allocating your own internal project management resource.
Your internal project manager will have responsibility for managing the requirements and liaising directly with your SAP Business One implementation partner. With this in mind, rather than being an expert in project management methodologies your internal project manager will need the following experience and skills:
- Better communication between your internal team and the SAP implementation team
- The expediting of requirements
- Management of the project budget
- Management of the out of scope process
- Acting as an early warning system for any project issues
- More actively managing timelines
The amount of project management and the formality associated with your SAP Business One project will depend on the complexity of your project. An internal project manager is usually a part time position – with a senior member of staff allocating a few hours a week to run the “internal project management” role. The benefits of allocating some internal time to this role include:
- Structured and organised
- A thorough understanding of the business requirements
- Have the buy in of senior management
- Good communication skills
- Ability to manage meetings
- Good time management skills
- Understand each business unit requirements – finance, operations etc.
- Ability to manage vendors /suppliers
Appointing an internal project manager will help with system ownership even after go live. This is one of multiple factors that will contribute towards the successful implementation of SAP Business One.
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