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100 Chapter 4 • Development Life Cycle

Scope and Commitment
System Scope
Top Management Support
Selection of Implementation Team
Role of Internal Employees and SMEs
Decision on the Consultant’s Role
Vendor Selection and Contract
Analysis and Design
Methodologies
Vanilla vs. BPR Implementation
Data Mapping and Conversation
Prototype or Sandbox
Acquisition and Development Change Management
Hardware and Software
Customization
Data Conversation and Loading
Configuration
Go-Live
Conversion
Testing
Training
Operations
Support and Ongoing Training
Patching and Upgrades

FIGURE 4-7 ERP Life Cycle Phases Summary

actually implemented. As businesses grow and move quickly, there is a high chance that the
requirement will change during those months or years of time that pass.
Consultants play an important role in rapid implementation of ERP systems. They provide
different methodologies and techniques for rapid or accelerated implementation. This is an
area where the use of experienced consultants can best be leveraged as they bring knowledge of
techniques and approaches that have worked well with other organizations. Scripts and wizards
provided by consultants can help automate some of the more common tasks that occur during
an implementation. These include migration of data, identification of duplicate data, and other
standard tasks.
This section will give you a sample of methodologies offered by ERP consulting firms.
The appropriate implementation model may vary based on company, culture, software, budget,
and the purpose of the implementation, but previous implementation experience of the program
management and consultants will likely be the largest driving factor in determining the best
approach. With that said, the high commitment of resources required in the first stages of the
implementation and the time and cost saving claimed by rapid implementation approaches have
drastically increased the number of rapid implantations. Some examples of methodologies used
in implementing ERP systems follow.

TOTAL SOLUTION ERP packages have increasingly become indispensable to run businesses;
yet, ERP implementations often fail because these solutions are highly integrated, demand cross-
functional collaboration, and require significant change management. Although ERP solutions
have matured and stabilized over the years, they are still difficult to implement and manage.
Ernst & Young, LLP, have developed a systematic way of approaching systems reengineering
called the Total Solution. The Total Solution approach has five components: