Your business is constantly changing. We hear this once in a while, so it sounds familiar and probably true. But if you are to remember those special periods in which the world seemed all different, you will notice that it takes a moment to find such a period, not too long ago.

The moments you have traced were probably those you had bought something new; such as a video recorder, that made it possible to save precious moments. That is one example, but think for yourself the devices and products you have bought, but that did not always change your life.

An ERP implementation may fall in this category. Companies that buy products hoping for a situation to change will often get disappointed. Unfortunately this becomes clear after a long period where the system is plugged in the operation.

One of the problems I hear about when organization deal with such an implementation is that there is a mismatch of competences. Competences in the sense of who is doing what. Normally this involves some business units and a central department. The business unit is free up to a certain (but often unclear) point to invest in own solutions and in new product developments. As more units follow this path, there comes a point where this freedom will give a out of proportion amount of extra work in the central administration departments. Business criteria for one department are often out of sync with criteria for other kind of departments. This is something your organization should be aware of.

It is however also logical that new investment take place and ERP systems are sound investment choices.

What your organization should not forget is that the previous issue still needs to be solved. And a system may help, but as you know from your own experience with your video camera; you often forget to bring it when there is an important event.

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days. You can apply for a free demo account

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