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Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP): Lessons Learned

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP): Lessons Learned. Jim S.C. Tom Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology UMSL for BA5800. Topics. Introduction ERP at a University Lessons Current status Future. “enterprise resource planning” system “integrated” system to manage:

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Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP): Lessons Learned

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  1. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP):Lessons Learned Jim S.C. Tom Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology UMSL for BA5800

  2. Topics • Introduction • ERP at a University • Lessons • Current status • Future

  3. “enterprise resource planning” system “integrated” system to manage: Financial transactions and records – accounts payable/receivable, payments, invoices, vendors, etc. Personnel – records, payroll, benefits, taxes, etc. Other components that might be included: Inventory and asset management Factory operations Supply chain management Customer relationship management What’s an ERP?

  4. The Hope • Integrate all the information required to operate and plan a business • Decision making information at your fingertips • Get rid of the mainframe • Cheaper, faster, better

  5. The Reality • A lot harder than people realized • Over budget • Over time • Integration not achieved • Operating costs much higher than expected

  6. Financial system HR system Student information Other components that might be included: Constituent relationship management (CRM) Fund-raising (development) Classroom scheduling and management ERP at a University

  7. ERP at University of Missouri • Latest effort began around 1995 – well before my time • Started in earnest in 1998 • Goals: • Streamline administrative processes (reduce costs) • Replace administrative software systems • Results: • Over time • Over budget • User dissatisfaction • Ambiguous achievement of goals

  8. Lesson 1: Ask the hard questions • What problem are we trying to solve? • Who cares? • What are the assumptions? • Where’s the payoff? • Do you have buy-in? • Who are the stakeholders? • Do you have executive/managerial support? • Have you involved the end-users?

  9. Lesson 2: Plan • Develop a Charter to capture • Goals • Executive/management sponsorship • Answers to the hard questions • Develop an overall concept • Broad milestones and timeline • Required resources, internal and external • Develop as realistic a budget as you can

  10. Lesson 3: Communicate • This is crucial, not “motherhood and apple pie” • Communicate to executive/management • Communicate within your team • Communicate with all your stakeholders • Honesty, openness – problems as well as successes

  11. Lesson 4: Manage the Project • Appoint a Project Manager • Develop detailed tasks and timelines • Develop accountability • Track progress • Adjust as necessary

  12. Lesson 5: It’s not about Technology • Success is not just “on time” and “on budget” • Nice as those outcomes are • Success is about changing the way you do business

  13. Current Status at UM • Finance and HR systems are operational on latest version of software • January 2007, UMSL is heading into the formal implementation phase of a new Student Information System • UMR is already “live” • UMKC and UMC are in the middle of implementation

  14. What’s different? • UMSL has been preparing for a year • The outcomes or measures of success are clear, including: • Self-service – that is, direct access to relevant student information for faculty, staff and students • Improved service to students • Recruitment • Admissions • Advising and retention • Financial management • teamwork

  15. UMSL plans • Began building a joint team with resources from ITS and from Student Affairs • Secured buy-in from Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellors, Deans • Learned (and continue to learn) from sister campuses as well as other universities • Developed a Charter and preliminary plan • Developed budget and resource requirements

  16. Progress • Completing a number of preparatory tasks • Developing a communications plan • Faculty, staff and students • Creation of a Project Management Office • Developed overall timeline and task definitions • Found space for a “teamroom”

  17. Challenges • Resources • Internal – difficult to recruit • External – consultants are expensive and in short supply as well • System – major technical work is done by System resources, who will still be working on UMKC and UMC implementations • Keeping current operations going while implementing a new system

  18. Future • Fully operational in Fall 2006 – old system will be shut down • Changes in business processes to “best practice” – more user or “customer” focused • Better information for decision-making • Ambiguity in underlying software system – our ERP is Peoplesoft, bought by Oracle. New versions will be “converged” system called “Fusion,” due in 2009

  19. Where’s the market going? • Disclaimer: my personal thoughts • End of monolithic systems • Encapsulation of core functionality • Modular functionality that will interact using “Service-oriented Architecture”

  20. But what’s the key? • What does it do for the business?

  21. Questions

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