Przemysław Lech, University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Management

Functional Consultants’ Role in

Enterprise Systems Implementations

Enterprise Systems R

EA

DIN

ES

S T

O U

SE

Off-the-Shelf

Systems -

COTS

Text

Text Enterprise

Application

Suites

CONFIGURABILITY

What is meant

by ‚standard’

or ‚vanilla’

implementation

of (e.g) SAP?

It is not a homogenous group!

Customization – making changes to

software code

to tailor the system to meet requirements

Configuration – tailoring of a piece of

software to meet requirements using

existing functionality*

*wiki.answers.com

Vendor

Customer

Standard

System

Consultant

Working

System

Project:

(configuration

customization)

SAP Oracle Microsoft Source page: http://www.sap.com/our-

partners/index.epx

Source page:

http://www.oracle.com/us/solutions/midsize/p

artners/index.html

Source page:

http://dynamics.pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-

US/home

“SAP partners play a critical role in

helping organizations of all sizes identify,

purchase and implement the ideal

solution to address their unique business

needs. [...] SAP partners deliver the

exceptional value, purchasing choice,

consultation and implementation services

[...]”

“Together, Oracle and our network of more

than 19,000 partners provide customers

around the world with industry-leading

solutions and services that address the needs

of fast-growing companies and government

entities with limited budgets.”

“The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace

helps you discover innovative applications

and professional services from Microsoft

partners worldwide.”

Requirements

definition

Need for

change

Implementation

Partner selection

System

selection

Scope/Budget/

Schedule

definition

Pre-implementation (planning) phase

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

Day-to-day

use

System

stabilization

Post implementation phase

Further

development

Methodology

Research

question

Sample

Data source

What activities are performed by the functional

consultants (and their Project Manager) during

the Enterprise System implementation?

Five ES (SAP) implementation projects: 1 done

by the vendor, 4 done by independent

consultancies

Documents: contracts, appendixes, project

charters

Procedure Coding procedure to standarize activities’ names

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

• Scope, budget and

schedule confirmation

• Phases, products,

milestones, detailed

schedule

• Project organization

• Roles’ definition and split

• Procedures:

• Communication

• Risk management

• Escalation

• Work reporting

• Infrastructure

Product:

1) Supply of knowledge on

project methodology:

• definition of project roles,

• preparation of project

procedures

2) Key user training

3) Participation in definition of

project plan (phases, products,

milestones, detailed schedule)

Consultants’ role

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

System design (Business

Blueprint):

• Configuration specification

• Reports,

• Interfaces

• Master data conversion

• Extensions

• Forms (printouts)

RICEF

1) Absorb the company

knowledge from the client

(requirements)

2) Transform the requirements

into system design

Product: Consultants’ role

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

System configured

RICEF done

System tested

1) Configure the system

2) Develop RICEF

3) Prepare master data

migration tools

4) Prepare test scenario

template

5) Supervise tests

6) Help with authorizations

7) Prepare system

documentation

8) Prepare user manuals

Product: Consultants’ role

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

• System ready for go-live

• Master data uploaded

• End-users trained

1) Prepare the system for go-

live

2) Prepare productive start plan

3) Input master data

4) Prepare support plan

Consultants’ role Product:

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Implementation phase

• Working system

Product:

1) Support daily activities

2) Solve problems reported by

the users

Consultants’ role

Cross-phase activities

Business

Blueprint

Project

preparation

Productive Start

preparation Realization

Go-live and

support

Project management activities

Status management

Risk management

Change management

Conclusions

• Deliver knowledge about project methodology to the client organization

• help with the project plan preparation: schedule, products, milestones

• suggest project procedures

• define project roles

• Deliver knowledge about the system to the client organization:

• transfrom the requirements into the system design

• train key users

• prepare system documentation and user manuals

• Deliver the solution (configured and customized system):

• configure and customize the system

• prepare master data migration tools

• migrate the master data

• support the system after go-live

• Participate in project management activities

The role of functional consultants in the ES projects was to:

Thank you for your attention This presentation is available for download from:

www.przemyslawlech.info.pl Related papers: • Lech P., Is it really so ‘strategic’? Motivational factors for investing in

Enterprise Systems – A Survey, International Journal of Enterprise

Information Systems, Vol. 7, Issue 4, October-December 2011, s. 13-22

• Lech P., Information gathering during Enterprise System selection – insight

from practice, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Volume 112, Issue

6, 2012

• Lech P., Knowledge Transfer Procedures From Consultants to Users in

ERP Implementations, Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management,

Volume 9, Issue 4, 2011, s. 318-327