ERP: Pitfalls in Implementation

Abstract:

Products need to be launched with minimum lead time, minimised overheads, eroding margins, thus forcing the management to opt for innovative ways. Considering the importance of time factor, synergy, the importance of a seamlessly integrated organisation and the complexities added in the business processes by their multi-division, multi-location, multi-currency nature, the industry seems to have found a unique solution : Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). But if proper discipline, operations and accuracy of data is not controlled, it leads to wrong decisions, and the ERP solution fails. The paper addresses these concerns, their possible reasons and solutions. Care should be taken to see how the taxation part (which has to suit the Indian context) is handled. The top most concern should be the 'implementation time frame'. Many organisations have suffered due to this delay. The commitment of the top management's strong involvement of end-users and a well drafted implementation strategic plan (which sticks to the time frame) makes an organisation march on the ERP success path. ERP solutions are here to stay; the only question being how best you can exploit them.