ERP Project Planning has fundamentally changed the work of IT organizations. The complexity and size of ERP implementations makes managing these projects difficult. Therefore, when the project manager outlines the charter and scope for the project, there are two fundamental aspects of ERP planning that need to be considered: 1) people, and 2) technology.

In addition, as is the case with most ERP project efforts there are multiple circumstances that come into play during the course of planning and implementing the project’s deliverables. Thus, the project manager must have experience in ERP project planning; understanding how the ERP package affects the IT organization and the role each team member must contribute to make the effort a success.

The project manager must also be able to provide the IT organization a clear vision of the technological implications during the planning phase of the project. There are a vast combination of hardware and software involved and once the plan is base lined, the project manager must hold firm to the platforms chosen to support the implementation effort.

The project manager has to muddle through thousands of variables, whether implementing one module or multiple modules. With the understanding that the project manager must ensure consistency and full integration across subprojects, system of system architecture must also be considered during the planning phase of the project. In most cases, expert-level systems engineering experience is an added benefit for the project manager to have in his or her portfolio.

As the elements in the project are mapped and planned, in-depth risk analysis can be performed to ensure countermeasures are established where high-levels of risk exist within the plan. This outlines why leveraging the right amount of ERP Project Planning experience into the project manager position is critical. A mismanaged ERP implementation can cripple business and severely impact annual revenue performance.

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