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232 Chapter 8 • Program and Project Management

1. Project start-up. As is often the case, ERP projects can take longer to start than anticipated.
This can be the result of many issues including the following:
•Hiring skilled staff can take longer than planned.
•Bringing in professional consultants is time consuming.
•Looking for and building out a single work location are important for the success of the
project.
Even though you may want to move through this step quickly you will need to resist
the temptation. Hiring the right skilled staff and finding the right skills in professional consul-
tants is one of the most important activities a PMO can address. The abilities of technical and
functional project staff, whether they are hired full-time staff or as consultants, will take a
coordinated effort. Professional consultants will often need to complete an existing engage-
ment before they can join the project. The organizing and planning for a realistic project start
date will depend a lot on when the key staff are in place.
Another issue that sometimes arises with projects is finding the right space or location for
the project to do its work. A single location is best. In fact, if a single location is not part of how
an ERP project is implemented, it should be identified as a risk and managed closely. If the
location is not set up for projects, then the build-out takes a significant amount of time. A
positive working environment (i.e., one that is conducive to teamwork and communication) is
paramount to a project’s success. The needs of the project environment include well-lit office
space for staff and a significant amount of meeting space. Do not underestimate how a working
environment can assist in an ERP project implementation.
2. Interaction or goals between technical and functional staff. The goal of the technical staff is to
implement a solid and reliable ERP system infrastructure; whereas the goal of the functional
staff is to ensure that the ERP system works as defined. Functional staff will want a number of
ERP system environments in which to test and validate the system. This can lead to friction
between the two areas. Any changes to the system configuration or software take time and need
to be planned and managed well to ensure that the functional teams can complete their work and
move forward. A well-defined communication and planning grid will help to ensure that the
interaction and workload between the teams are well understood and planned. The hiring of a
technical lead that is well versed in both the technology and project management will also assist
in bridging the technical and functional teams.
3. Commitment of senior management for the length of the project. There are times,
especially in very difficult ERP implementations, which the commitment to the project
by senior management may waver. This occurs when the system may not work as
planned or when there are unanticipated changes and budget overruns. The PMO role in
this area will be to manage expectations consistently and to communicate project
progress openly and honestly. If there is turnover in the senior ranks, the PMO will need
to orient the new management staff to the project and expectations to better ensure con-
tinued support for the project.
4. Staff and professional consultant turnover. Staff turnover happens in every project. The
PMO should be expected to adjust to staff or consultants that leave the project. This can be
addressed by a project roll-off and roll-on process, and it should be developed from the
beginning. For a roll off, the knowledge transfer must take place to ensure that activities and
tasks are turned over to the appropriate staff. In addition, even though the PMO is hiring
replacement staff or finding another professional consultant, the workload will need to be
reprioritized until the new staff begins on the project. As new staff is hired, a roll-on process