ERP Project Initiation Phase

The objective of ERP Project Initiation phase is to frame and agree upon a standard approach to project Management to accomplish and execute a successful ERP Applications Implementation Project.

This is the first and most important activity for any good ERP implementation methodology.

The goal of the ERP Project Management framework is to prepare a Unified Project Plan to provide a framework, in which all types of ERP Projects can be planned, estimated, controlled, and completed in a consistent manner. This consistency is necessary in an environment where projects use a variety of methods, tools, and approaches to satisfy business needs. The overall organization of an ERP Project Management Plan is expressed as a process-based methodology, which can be tailored to any ERP project’s specific needs. The five golden ERP Project Management Processes are:

Control and Reporting

This subset contains tasks that help to confirm the scope and approach of the project, manage change, and control risks. It guides towards management of project plans and report project status.

Work Management

This subset contains tasks that help to define, monitor, and direct all work performed on the project. This process also helps to maintain a financial view of the project.

Resource management

This subset provides guidance on achieving the right level of staffing and skills on the project and on implementing an infrastructure to support the project.

Quality Management

This subset provides guidance towards implementing quality measures to ensure that the project meets the client’s purpose and expectations throughout the project life cycle.

Configuration management

This subset contains tasks that help to store, organize, track, and control all items produced by and delivered to the project. The Configuration Management process also calls for providing a single location from which all project deliverables are released.

ERP Project Initiation Task Categories:

 Each of the above Processes needs to be framed with common format of task categories, which are 

• Planning tasks with respect to Project scope, quality, time and cost
• Controlling tasks performed concurrently with execution tasks basically measuring performance and taking corrective action as needed
• Completion tasks to formalize acceptance