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Chapter 7 • Operations and Postimplementation 203

The project management office must be proactive and ensure that there is a good knowl-
edge management plan as part of the ERP implementation process. A knowledge management
plan will ensure knowledge is retained, reduce the cost of support due to lower number of sup-
port calls, facilitate faster learning, better maximize the capabilities of the system, cut time in
troubleshooting problems, and ensure a correct use of the system.

IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT
The closer an ERP implementation gets to its Go-live date, the more project management must
focus on the issues, tasks, and activities to being ready. The readiness process will identify the
issues and help project management focus its resources and efforts. The readiness process must
be planned and organized well in advance of the Go-live date. The PMO must have plans for
several readiness processes to understand the level of readiness of each project area fully. Each
time the teams go through a readiness process, the level of risk should be reduced. If that is not
the case, the Go-live date is very much at risk and should be reconsidered.
To ensure a successful and sustainable ERP implementation, one must have a well-
thought-out and understood knowledge transfer process. Even though it is best to ensure as
much continuity as possible during a project, the reality is that staff will change. This will hap-
pen with subject matter experts and technical staff. To lose this knowledge base and the history
of decisions sometimes leads to revisiting problems and issues, and it can slow a project down.
During the stabilization and postproduction phases most projects lose a number of staff. This
will include consultants, implementation partner staff, full-time and part-time staff, and even end
users. When this happens, a significant base of knowledge leaves and takes the project knowl-
edge with them. New staff coming in will not have the history or knowledge base, and they will
need to learn and acclimate themselves to the team and system. Without a well-understood
knowledge transfer process the PMO is risking the long-term sustainability of the ERP system.

Summary

•Assessing readiness in an ERP implementa- shifted to meet deadlines. In addition to
tion is critical to the overall implementation focusing on the teams the readiness process
process. Without the readiness process in also creates a greater awareness for the
place it will be difficult to meet the Go-live project team and organization that the
date with any assurance. The readiness implementation is not that far away from
process should start well in advance of the going live.
Go-live date and be repeated about every •Just-in-time and continual training is the
month to six weeks until the system is mark of a good ERP implementation train-
ready to Go-live. The process in itself clari- ing plan. This will ensure that the ERP sys-
fies all the open issues, tasks, and activities tem will be supported for the lifetime of the
required for the implementation for the system. The budget for training is often only
project team. for the Go-live process. Setting continual
• For the project management office, the training expectations early on in the project
readiness process works to focus project will help the training process sustain itself.
managers on the high-priority tasks and •Stabilization is generally a 60–90-day period
activities and identifies where workarounds that takes place after Go-live. It is possible
are possible. Resources can be added or that the time frame will vary depending on