ERP Implementation

This project was based on the implementation of ERP in the educational institution. It was undertaken to ease the pressure the institution was receiving from the stakeholders. The main objectives of the implementation of this project were to allow the school to be able to retrieve important data from its sources without compromising data security and in the same time meeting the government’s regulatory requirements. Another reason was to help the institution replace the old ineffective and inefficient system with a more integrated and automated system.

Running Head: ERP IMPLEMENTATION 1
ERP Implementation
Student’s Name
Institution
Tutor
Date

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Project review
Enterprise Resource planning has revolutionized the learning process in institutions in the world.
It has helped in the creation of a paperless learning environment as well as the creation of web-
based systems. This project was based on the implementation of ERP in the educational
institution. It was undertaken to ease the pressure the institution was receiving from the
stakeholders, (Ali, & Miller, 2017). This was due to the increase in the number of students
joining the institution and the recent requirement by the government for learning institutions to
implement reforms that will bring efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. The main
objectives of the implementation of this project were to allow the school to be able to retrieve
important data from its sources without compromising data security and in the same time
meeting the government’s regulatory requirements, (Sudhaman & Thangavel, 2015). Another
reason was to help the institution replace the old ineffective and inefficient system with a more
integrated and automated system.
Project challenges
ERP providers
In the market today, there are hundreds of ERP vendors. Choosing the best vendor offering a
suitable program that meets the needs of the institution was extremely difficult. It leaves one in
confusion in choosing the right company offering the right program, (Ali, & Miller, 2017). In
order to overcome this, there is a need to have a deeper understanding of the requirement of the
institution. The requirements are then forwarded to the ERP vendors to obtain their views. The

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vendor chosen should have past experience in the field. It is important to take time so as to fully
understand the ERP needs of the institutions.
ERP training
In most cases, employees and other ERP users become resentful when the program is
implemented. This will adversely affect program productivity and efficiency, (Fischer et al.,
2017, May). Adequate training and employee motivation towards the use of the system is very
helpful. This helps the team to fully understand the system processes and the software used.
Top management commitment
For a successful implementation of ERP program, top managers’ commitment is vital. Their full
commitment is very necessary if any program implementation is to be achieved. This challenge
can be overcome by having an active communication with the institution top management. They
should be involved in all decision making processes involving the ERP program, (Sudhaman &
Thangavel, 2015). This will increase the level of their commitment to program implementation.
Adequate and effective communication employed increases the chances of completely winning
the commitment of top management.
Poor project budgeting
ERP program helps bring effectiveness and efficiency in the long run. If the system is badly
implemented, it may lead to the institution incurring more cost while running an ineffective and
inefficient system. When the implementation of the program is done, all costs should be
considered including the team that will be implementing the program, (Chofreha et al., 2019). To

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overcome this challenge, someone within the institution should be assigned to control and take
charge of the program activities, (Azan et al., 2017). He will be in charge of collaborations with
ERP vendor in assuring that the program runs smoothly and the desired results are achieved.
ERP management using EVM
The ERP implementation process was managed using EVM management style. Project
implementation performance was measured in various forms provided in the framework of
EVM. Performance measurement took into account the scope of the project, the total cost
incurred and project activities schedule, (Batselier, & Vanhoucke, 2017). It was essential for the
assessment of the project implementation progress. The project management approach utilized
three main matrixes in the EVM;
Actual cost
EVM helped in the measurement of the number of funds utilized in the various stages of ERP
implementation, (Fleming, & Koppelman, 2016, December). It incorporates the money spent on
actual work done throughout the implementation process. Cost measurement was calculated
using the following indexes and project variances;
i. Cost performance index
It refers to the ratio between actual project cost and project earned value.
ii. Cost variance
It is the cost obtained from getting the difference between actual project cost and
project earned cost

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iii. Activity schedule variance
iv. Schedule performance index
Refer to the ratio of earned value and the actual cost of the project.
Planned value
This refers to the planned cost for the project implementation work given. In some instances, it is
referred to as the budgeted cost of the work scheduled (BCWS)
Earned value
It refers to money that is earned from the complete tasks in the project at a given timeframe,
(Batselier, & Vanhoucke, 2017). It is also referred to as the actual cost of work performed
(BCWP)
ERP project closure
The closure activities will involve project approval and the handing over of all project
deliverables to the institution. For a proper closure of the project, it is vital that all closure
activities are performed well for it to be closed, (Chofreha et al., 2019). Stakeholders in the
project should agree that the project has been implemented to their satisfaction and there will be

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no more implementation charges that will be added to the project except for maintenance cost.
The following are the vital activities during this phase.
Acceptance of project deliverables
All deliverables are reviewed and compared to the provided customer project acceptance criteria.
The project acceptance criteria equal to the project deliverables functional capabilities. They are
vital in the project contract as they guide the execution of the project.
Project report
This is completed when the project is being handed to the institution. It summarises the whole
project starting from the project planning phase to the closure phase. Most important sections of
ERP project that will be covered in this report will be the plan of the project, activities schedule,
project purpose, and project objectives, (Ahmed, 2016). It will entail the changes incorporated
during the execution of the project, project tailored processes and their effects to the general
execution of the project. The project closure will also reflect the finances utilized while
executing the project. Post-project assessment of the project examines the effectiveness of the
general project and how accommodating it is to future utilization.
Lessons learned from the project
It is useful to note down the experiences encountered during the execution of the project. The
experience will act as a learning curve during the execution of future projects.

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References
Ahmed, A. (2016). Software project management: A process-driven approach. Auerbach
Publications.
Ali, M., & Miller, L. (2017). ERP system implementation in large enterprises–a systematic
literature review. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 30(4), 666-692.
Azan, W., Bootz, J. P., & Rolland, O. (2017). Community of practices, knowledge transfer, and
ERP project (ERPP). Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 15(2), 238-256.
Batselier, J., & Vanhoucke, M. (2017). Improving project forecast accuracy by integrating
earned value management with exponential smoothing and reference class forecasting.
International journal of project management, 35(1), 28-43.
Chofreha, A. G., Gonib, F. A., Malikc, M. N., Khanc, H. H., & Klemeša, J. J. (2019). Evaluation
of the Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Steps. CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING, 72.
Fischer, M., Heim, D., Janiesch, C., & Winkelmann, A. (2017, May). Assessing process fit in
ERP implementation projects: a methodological approach. In International Conference on
Design Science Research in Information System and Technology (pp. 3-20). Springer,
Cham.
Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.

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Sudhaman, P., & Thangavel, C. (2015). Efficiency analysis of ERP projects—software quality
perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 33(4), 961-970.