It is dangerous to underestimate the complexities of an enterprise-wide system implement-ation, as they cover multiple business areas that have to work in harmony to achieve the required level of efficiency. The complexities need to be anticipated at project commencement and taken into consideration through the planning, implementation and rollover phases.

Such an investment is expected to yield benefits for a business: greater consistency across departments, increased efficiency and cost reductions. So an organisation can re-examine its processes and design them with the system advantages in mind, rather than replicating what is already in place.

Project management of any system implementation goes far beyond the technology as its primary impact is on the business, and so users must be willing to accept and enable the change. Managing change effectively ensures that the new system meets the users’ expectations and they feel part of the process, and so less likely to resist it.

One of the most effective ways to ensure users feel included in the project is through regular communication and updates.

The knowledge of how to manage all the different components that make up a project increases with experience and with a good understanding of the tools available.

Therefore, when considering how to structure your project, you are more likely to have a successful project and realise the benefits from your investment if you put someone with exper-ience in the driving seat.

This item was written by Eric Muscat, IT Advisory Partner at KPMG.