Eight Best Practices for Planning Your Microsoft Dynamics ERP Project—And Staying Focused on the Big Picture

ERP implementation projects are invariably more complicated
than executives expect. For that reason, it’s easy to get bogged down in
endless detail and decisions around the implementation process. It’s essential to remain focused on the big picture. As you
start to plan your new ERP implementation project, consider these Eight Best
Practices for IT strategic planning.

1. Business Driven, IT Enabled

Successful IT programs are sponsored and fully endorsed by
the business, and focus on business results – they are not just one-time IT
projects or mere technology decisions. The relevant business stakeholders
(including the CFO) should drive the requirements – not IT. CFOs should not and
cannot simply defer decisions to their IT staff. The value drivers to the
business and your comprehensive business requirements should be the most
important guide to the selection and implementation approach of your IT
solution(s).

2.  Think End-to-End

Keep the big picture in mind in thinking about your end-state
solutions. An enterprise perspective is needed to adequately address the
interdependent handoffs and data sharing between departments that are the real
opportunities for end-to-end process improvement and achieving the ROI
intended. Once everyone is using the new solution for the basics, what then?
What other departments/work groups do you envision wanting/needing to share
information? What other front and back-office applications would you envision
integrating (e.g., unified communications tools, mobile devices,
internal/external web portals, flow-through order management, document
management, ERP/accounting, electronic banking, et al)?

3.  Standardize on your IT Platform and
then select your IT solution(s)

Selecting your core application platform is a foundational
decision that enables (or hinders) business productivity and information
sharing across your entire organization. By default, it tends …