Two important factors in successful ERP implementation. The provider has been chosen, contracts can be signed.ERP selection and change management are now starting to become an inseparable pair.
ERP Selection & Change Management in 2021
Two important factors in successful ERP implementation. The ERP selection has been made. The provider has been chosen. Contracts can be signed. ERP selection and change management are now starting to become an inseparable pair.
What Do You Need to Know Before Signing the Contract?
The best software you have just bought is no guarantee for a successful ERP project, and no guarantee with the infinite number of functions of an ERP software that your processes will be supported. It is not certain that you will be able to carry out the ERP project successfully, because there are an infinite number of disruptive factors and imponderables in the ERP implementation phase.
The topic of training concept, training as a whole and the use of procedures in change management are important risk factors that you should discuss, and price with the software supplier before signing the contract.
Training is often tied up with the tasks of the "key users" and reduced to a minimum. In the course of our experience with risk factors, it has turned out that especially the topic of ERP selection and change management are decisive success or failure indicators.
IT projects are always related to organisational measures, some of which entail enormous process changes, restructuring of working methods and the use of new software solutions. Some colleagues find it easy, but most find it difficult to get involved in changes or to accept them, let alone drive them forward. Acceptance usually increases along with understanding.
It is therefore, all the more important to develop a well thought-out concept to inform and convince employees, as early as possible in change management. In change management in addition to storytelling, definition of power users and roadshow documents, the training design plays a no less important role in new software introductions and can strongly influence the degree of use of the software after the roll out.
Our experience shows that the broad acceptance of new software solutions depends very much on the training design. In the following, 3 elementary but very effective measures are explained that should be taken into account during training preparation and coordinated with the trainer.
1. Training Context to Understand the Backgrounds
At the start of the training, it is important to explain the context of the training and the general background of the software introduction. Even if stories and roadshow documents have been distributed to the broad masses in the company, this does not ensure that every employee has internalised the meaning and purpose of the new software introduction.
It is important to involve colleagues in the software training at the latest, to ensure understanding of the software introduction and thus to reduce resistance and fear of change. Another advantage of this method is that at this point at the latest it can be determined relatively quickly who needs to be convinced by the change management team.
2. Practical Examples of Self-Identification
Some trainers tend to present the software very theoretically and extensively, according to the motto - the more functionalities were shown in the training, the higher the enthusiasm on the part of the employees to deal with the software. Dreher Consulting's experience shows, that exactly the opposite is the case. It can be very difficult for the training participants to transfer abstractly shown software functionalities to their own work processes. Therefore, it is all the more important to work with practical examples.
This does not mean just any practical examples, but practical examples from the daily work processes of the respective training participants. This makes it easier for the training participants to identify with the software, to ask more specific questions and to increase their own understanding of the software.
However, this presupposes that the change management team deals with this issue in advance and provides the trainer with the information and documents in advance, so that he or she can prepare specifically for the respective training unit and participants.
3. Design of the Training Focus
Even though it is important to convey the general scope of the software functionalities, it is advisable to focus the training on the work processes of the respective trainees. With relatively little effort, this avoids the teaching of irrelevant training content, and thus also bored faces of the training participants.
On the contrary, the participants are interested and motivated. This in turn motivates the trainer to be more responsive to the trainees and the training momentum is maintained throughout the training. Some other criteria such as checking the hardware, the premises and the lighting conditions before the training also play a not exactly minor role in the training design.
But also the right number of participants and the volume of information to be conveyed are important and can influence the training mood and the first association with the new software very positively or very negatively, even if unconsciously.
What is Important in the Implementation of ERP Selection and Change Management?
Based on the experience of many ERP selection and change management projects, it is recommended that a member of the change management team is present at each training session to ensure that the aspects listed here are taken into account by the trainer and that the set training objectives are thus achieved.
