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test to certify they knew how to use the system. A number of the issues could have been
addressed prior to Go-live with some added investigation and more timely training.
CONCLUSION
Hindsight being what it is, the obvious conclusion to be drawn from this implementation is
that care needs to be taken when assessing readiness. The contingency plan was lacking
and needed to be expanded to include both technical issues and workarounds that also
addressed the business issues.
Two specific key components for the end users were problematic:
•The training did not coincide with going live. The two-week period between the
training and going live allowed the users to forget some of the details on how to use
the system. This may have been alleviated by providing a practice instance for end
users from the time they were trained until beyond Go-live.
•The second issue involved more complete testing. In a supply chain ERP implemen-
tation, the development of a robust test plan and test data, along with testing using
“real” data and “real” customer information, is essential for a successful Go-live.
This will ensure that orders can be filled on a timely basis and end users will develop
a high level of confidence in the system and its processes.
CASE QUESTIONS
• What are the common threads between the Hugger-Mugger and HP ERP
implementations?
•What were the key project management strategies that may have been used to
minimize Go-live problems with the HP SAP Go-live process?
•When implementing an ERP system, especially supply chain systems, identifying
risks and minimizing them requires planning. Discuss how IT needs to work with the
business to address Go-live planning and issue resolution.