The implementation phase, just before going live, is one of the most critical points in a project’s success. It is the culmination of a number of planned tasks, activities, many resources that have been brought together to implement the system based on the goals of the company and Project team.
A product software implementation method is a blueprint to get users and/or organizations running with a specific software product.There are different types of implementation for a system. One implementation method is a “Vanilla Installation”. This would entail implementing the system without any customizations. You would use the software right out of the box and follow a generic implementation. No changes would be made to your process. This may be good for non complex installations but not a good choice for an ERP System. Businesses with relatively straightforward business practices that are not unique should consider a vanilla implementation. Also businesses that don’t have the resources to handle customizations should also consider this route for an implementation. The opposite of a vanilla implementation would be one that included customizations. This decision would be made based on the requirements gathering phase of the project. The company may have certain business or government requirements that are not included in a “vanilla” installation. They would then need to proceed carefully with customizations. Adding customizations or changes to the “vanilla” process and add more money, time and resources to the project. The business needs to assure that they are in agreement with this and have allocated the resources and time lines accordingly.
Microsoft Project is an excellent tool to use to plan the implementation of a system. This is generally the responsibility of the Project Manager and is done at the beginning of the project and signed off on by the key stakeholders in the
Bibliography: “ERP Implementation” Retrieved August 09, 2011 , http://www.gfoaconsulting.org/downloads/GFR-Jun08-ERPManageRisk.pdf A