Week 9

Q3. What external factors (non-implementation project related) could affect how and when an ERP goes live? Explain and justify.

External factors affecting ERP go live may be as follows:

• Contractual project managers and technical staff are not funded by the company to assist and support key users after implementation. Failure happens when systems are not used the way that they are intended (i.e. a system is as good as the user that inputs into it and adversely is caused by limited user training) and the risks relating to managing information does not fall solely on IT Managers.

• Technical staff should be available for any systems program errors, business process issues and user support. Top management and business owners should take responsibility to ensure adequate training is given in the ERP post implementation phase to fully achieve benefits;

• Lack of funding to support the above and project costs already exceeded budget will impact on the success of the project;

• Unexpected poor system performance causes user frustration and resistance to the new system and processes and delays meeting consumer demand;

• Risks’ relating to financial, political, manmade and natural disasters (i.e. bankruptcy, labour disputes, fire, flood, bomb, earthquake and tsunami) without management and business continuity plans in place, the effect and likelihood may be catastrophic;

• Not meeting Legal and Regulatory compliances (i.e. top management must ensure staff, policies, standards, procedures and systems structure are compliant with legal and regulatory requirements and industry best practice). Strategies should be in place to conduct compliance audits and policy health checks of the business to mitigate corporate risk;

• Poor communication between the functional areas.

Have a look at assignment five (5). Search the web or go to some other source to find some hints and tips on giving presentations. Post to your blog what you think was the most helpful and why.

Having a working knowledge with Microsoft PowerPoint and in addition to the notes supplied in COIT12073 course profile (page 20-21), below are other useful hints and tips to aid in giving a successful presentation:

• Dress for the occasion appropriate to the type of audience
• Start with a quotation to get audience attention
• Keep It Simple at a good pace
• Avoid jargon
• Maintain eye contact and engaging facial expressions
• Room size to fit the audience and the right ambience
• Pictures that are fitting to the topic
• A short presentation is not boring
• Write and rehearse the speech
• Supply handouts

A useful guide written by Marcus Puschel named “Small Guide to Giving Presentations” provides useful grammatical pointers and an understanding of the following principles:

• alignment;
• contrast;
• layering;
• consistency;
• visualisation; and,
• acknowledgment of co-authors.

References

Ifinedo, P 2008, Impacts of business vision, top management support, and external expertise on ERP success, Business Process Management Journal, Canada, vol.14, no.4, pp.551-568, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, viewed 29 December 2009,
http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/Insight/ViewContentServlet?contentType=Article&Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/1570140407.html

Lozinsky, S 1998, Enterprise-wide software solutions: integration strategies and practices, 1st edn, Addison Wesley, Reading.

Peng, GC & Nunes, MB 2009, Identification and assessment of risks associated with ERP post-implementation in China, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol.22, no.5, pp.587-614, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, viewed 29 December 2009,
http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?contentType=Article&Filename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0880220506.pdf

Presentation Magazine 2009, Presentation Hints and Tips, viewed 29 December 2009,
http://www.presentationmagazine.com/presentationtips.htm

Puschel, M 2008, Small Guide to Giving Presentations, viewed 29 December 2009,
http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~dbrumley/courses/18732-f09/guide-presentations.pdf

Sumner, M 2005, Enterprise Resource Planning, 1st edn, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

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