Background
In nearly all organizations, top level executives
provide leadership, planning, and execution of strategic
plans. In ERP projects, ERP planning and implementation requires
a strong commitment from top-level executives and senior managers.
Executives must provide the following:
- Ensure top management commitment
- Review/Approve contracts
- Provide program funding/resources
- Approve policies
- Review/monitor progress
In addition, one senior executive will act as program director, with the following responsibilities:
- Maintains overall responsibility/ accountability for program success
- Oversees Resource Allocations
- Reviews/Approves program expenditures
- Coordinates use of program resources
- Manages consultants, and
- Communicates progress to employees
Clearly, they must
be part of the ERP process, or the process will fail in all
cases. Without the full commitment of the organization’s senior
executives, it is unconscienable to attempt a full-scale ERP
project.
The Issues
The difficulty arises when the top executives are not knowledgeable about ERP systems, and particularly not knowledgeable on how to evaluate and implement ERP systems without serious failure. Since information systems are an integral part of the company basic infrastructure, it is dangerous to attempt to implement an ERP system without expert advice. The consequences are considerable.
Quite often, the task is left up
to the company technocrats who may not have a working knowledge of the
business side of operations. This can result in an implementation
that does not reflect the needs of the users.
Our Approach
Rockford Consulting Group can facilitate the effort from the development of strategy through full implementation. We provide technical expertise, team facilitation, leadership, and direction in deciding how company's will meet the challenge. We perform as facilitators, navigators, and project managers to provide direction and guidance, as well as management of the entire ERP process.
It makes sense to first assess the needs of the organization prior to any
evaluation and selection of an ERP package. Our approach is to first
review the business processes, and develop the ERP requirements based on the future needs of the business. Out of this
will come the optimal solution that will produce the results that can be
implemented in the shortest period, with lowest total implementation
costs.
This combination will drive the new office and
manufacturing workflow processing and operations strategy for years to
come. Managing change needs to be a part of every systems implementation. We use a time-proven
approach of high end-user involvement throughout the effort. High
involvement fosters authorship, authorship breeds ownership, and
ownership creates buy-in for the changes to be implemented in the
workplace.
To make the overall effort
manageable, we use a 4-phase process that will address business
processes first, secondly, build a credible requirements definition
document, third, search for compatible software, hardware, and
communications that will achieve the company’s objectives; and fourth,
implement the systems.
Benefits
The main benefit from this effort will be a developed ERP
plan that will reflect state-of-the-art technology and best practices,
and, when fully implemented, result in the
reducedtotal throughput time and overhead cost of processing orders from
quotation through shipment and invoicing. This
will materialize by the development and
implementation of an ERP strategy that focuses on
streamlined work flow processes and improving productivity.
Other tangible benefits that will ultimately result from
the strategic plan when fully implemented are:
1. Freeing of resources for better utilization
2. The ability to grow the business without substantial increases to
staff through increased productivity
3. Reduced delays in work flow processes
4. Reduced delivery response time, and
5. Reduced inventory
Why Us?
Rockford Consulting Group can provide long-term assistance to many companies in a variety of industries. The firm has a cadre of the best ERP consultants in the world today, providing high quality professionalism through the use of experience and innovation.
We subscribe to the Institute of Management Consultants Code of Professional Conduct. All consultants engaged on projects adhere to its principles. Whenever possible we will use consultants certified in their particular specialty area. Certification assures that consultants have substantial prior experience in their specialty, and their competencies have been tested by the IMC, and verified by a number of clients. This assures our clients that we are assigning the highest qualified consultants in the profession.
We refer you to our Qualification Statement for further details on our background, areas of specialization, concepts and technologies applied, staffing, operating policy, approach, companies and industries served, case studies and references. Equally as important, we train our clients to sustain new methods of manufacturing and the consequential benefits over time. Your company will benefit directly from this training.
We have achieved an efficiency in our approach to assignments that allows us to provide high quality technical and managerial advice in a much shorter amount of time than could be accomplished years ago. We are able to do this because of the extensive consulting experience that each of our specialists has.
Contact Us
Please contact us for more information, to invite us for a visit to your location, or to request a proposal. To contact us, click the link below. The link will transfer you to our contact page.
©1999 Rockford Consulting Group, Ltd.