Turn-around an SAP implementation in trouble

They know they need SAP to continue to stay competitive in the global market place, they have heard horror stories. 

The president has said “I despise IT” just because the SAP implementation was going south even after a number of rough starts. 

Executive Sponsorship

   – Not just words or lip service rather should be real

   – Sincere commitment

   – Willingness to change the business processes

   – Signed agreement about the value that SAP will bring to the table

Realistic Re-planning

   –  Be candid and honest

   –  Explore all possible options

   –  For each option look at the weak points and address them first

   –  Go for the 80/20 rule. SAP will not be perfect right at go-live

   –  Was the last (legacy) system perfect out of the gate

   –  Be realistic and honest about investment required

   –  SAP team members should truly play as a team

   –  Do not test to perfection remember the 80/20 rule, 

   –  Exceptions that historically happen once a year should not be tested at all, they should be rather kept manual with plan to automate after go live

Communicate

   –  Communicate because a lot of people are nervous about SAP and believe it might eliminate jobs

   –  Engage the users extensively specially in departments where business processes will change because of SAP

   –  Bring peers from other companies (customer & suppliers) that have lived through similar implementations to ease the nervousness of your organization