information technology challenges in erp - duke university 1 it challenges in erp chris meyer duke...

Information Technology Challenges in ERP - Duke University1

IT Challenges in ERP

Chris Meyer

Duke University


Profile

• Durham, North Carolina

• 11,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students and 1450 faculty

• 8 Schools: A&S, Engineering, Divinity, Business, Graduate, Environment, Law, Medicine and Nursing

• PeopleSoft Student Administration


Chronology

Vision Phase 9/93-9/96Began Implementation 3/97Admissions live 9/98-9/99Upgrade to PS 7.5 6/99Student Records live 3/00Financial Aid live 3/99-5/00Student Accounts live 7/00


Staffing

Before AfterSenior Administration 3 2Managers 2 2Functional Team 10 8Technical Team 8 14Functional Consulting 2 0.5Technical Consulting 4 1


Project Organization

• Executive Sponsors Committee

• Steering Committee

• Coordinator Team

• Project Team

• Functional Team

• Technical Team

• Local Functional and Technical Team


Technical Architecture

• Oracle 8i Database Servers– Online Transactional Processing System

and Decision Support

• PS Application Servers

• Web Servers

• Citrix Metaframe Server

• Novell File Server


System Architecture

• PeopleSoft SA 7.6, Oracle 8i• Citrix Metaframe• Hahtsite for ACES Web• AppWorx Process Scheduler• Jetforms Central Server• CollegeNet Resource 25• BMC Patrol and IBM Tivoli• DCE Kerberos Authentication


Challenges


Senior Administration

• Mandate university-wide use and acceptance

• Financial support– Final cost was triple original estimate– Hardware and consulting services

• Hold ERP vendor accountable for QA issues


Project Management

• Internal versus External• Avoid “Scope Creep”, use phased

approach, e.g., replace current functionality first

• Technical and functional coordination• Over-budget to cover unanticipated

costs, e.g., ancillary software and postponed go-lives


Staffing

• Recruit the best internal staff as full-time resources and backfill

• Staff motivation and retention– provide incentives to reach milestones

• Implementation versus Operational


Communications


Communications

• Identify key stakeholders– Steering Committee– Deans, Directors and Business Managers– Local Functional and Technical Leaders– End-users

• Communicate with key stakeholders early and often, as appropriate


Technical Architecture

• Sizing

• Lease versus Buy

• Standardize on fewer technologies

• Client Server Infrastructure– System monitoring


Training

• Technical - ERP Vendor

• Functional - ERP Vendor

• End-user– Insource versus Outsource

• Timeliness


Implementation

• Software stability

• Consolidate and apply upgrades, updates and fixes at least quarterly

• Avoid customizations!– Requests are functionally driven– Review and approval process– Modify business, not the system


Implementation

• Regression and performance testing

• Implement generic extracts and eliminate shadow systems

• “Web-enable” to hide system complexity

• Decision support/reporting strategy


Implementation

• Multiple database instances

• “Big bang” versus “Phased” approach

• Professional consulting– “Burst” or “Cafeteria-style”– ERP vendor services preferred– Use recruiting firms


Implementation

• ERP Account Representative

• User’s must accept system ownership

• Enabling new technologies, e.g., workflow, OLAP, and web

• Measuring and leveraging ROI

• Establishing success measures


Operational

• Functional and technical support• Adhere to IT “Best Practices”

– Change Management– Testing– Cross-training

• Outsourcing tedious, mundane tasks, e.g., upgrades?

• Performance tuning


Future

• Decision Support

• OLAP

• Portal Strategy

• Upgrade to PeopleSoft SA 8.x


Questions and Discussion

information technology challenges in erp - duke university 1 it challenges in erp chris meyer duke...

Documents

erp duke university

technical team slide

communications slide

staffing slide

operational slide

timeliness slide

chronology slide

appropriate slide