ERP Implementation Challenges and Solutions

This assignment analyzes the common challenges encountered during Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects. It delves into issues such as inadequate project planning, delayed updates within the project, and ineffective communication, highlighting their impact on project success. The assignment emphasizes the importance of effective project management practices, timely updates, and clear communication channels to mitigate these risks and ensure successful ERP implementations.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Implementation of ERP system within a retail Company
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
1. Contextual Review.......................................................................................................................2
2. Planning for artifact....................................................................................................................3
2.1 Reviewing relevant technique that is necessary for validating design..................................3
3. Project plan..................................................................................................................................4
3.1 Purpose..................................................................................................................................4
3.2 Assumptions and constraints.................................................................................................4
3.3 Scope......................................................................................................................................5
3.4 Time management.................................................................................................................5
3.4.1 Schedule..........................................................................................................................5
3.4.2 Gantt chart......................................................................................................................8
3.5 Budget....................................................................................................................................9
3.6 Communication management..............................................................................................10
3.7 Risk management.................................................................................................................11
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................14

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
1. Contextual Review
The project mainly reflects on the implementation of ERP within retail Company of UK.
According to Ram, Wu and Tagg (2014), enterprise resource planning is defined as one of the
procedure by which a company manages as well as integrates the significance of the business. It
is identified that an ERP management information system helps in integrating several areas
including planning, inventory sales, marketing, purchasing as well as finance (Panayiotou et al.
2015). The use of ERP within the Retail Company helps in improving the business performance
of the organization by properly implementing an efficient control as well as planning system that
generally synchronizes planning of different processes of the organization.
ERP system helps in streamlining various business operations for playing as a key
ingredient for gaining competitive advantage within the business organizations. It is stated by
Sun, Ni and Lam (2015) that the principle objective of an ERP system is to integrate various
business functions of the organization into a proper unified platform. With the help of proper
data centralizing as well as streamlining, accessing of data helps in enhancing the efficiency of
the business model. In addition to this, it is opined by Bintoro et al. (2015) that ERP helps in
brining proper degree of automation within the business by allowing employees of the
organization to access various types of shared data without the requirement of maintaining
manual records.
The use of ERP system helps in eliminating redundancies within the organizations that
have multiple data storage locations. It is analyzed by Garg and Garg (2014) that the use of ERP
system helps in improving all the business operations as various process of the business gets
streamlined and access of the business generally gets simplified with the help of user friendly

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
interfaces. The use of ERP software also assists in keeping the customers of the company
satisfied by managing the sales as well as inventory of the company efficiently. It generally helps
in maintaining up to date information which will helps in facilitating real time updating of
different types data in order to recover them (Bernroider, Wong and Lai 2014). The utilization
of ERP helps in integrating as well as analyzing various types of financial data which will be
helpful in improving productivity of the employees by minimizing delays considerably.
2. Planning for artifact
2.1 Reviewing relevant technique that is necessary for validating design
The relevant tools as well as techniques that are generally needed in order to validate the
design of the ERP system are as follows:
Hardware tool: The hardware tools those are necessary for the project includes data
backup system, network card, power protection, processor, data storage and more.
Software Tool: The software tools those are necessary for implementing ERP system
within the company includes database management tool, application and interfaces with
appropriate permission control, work flow management tool, reporting tool, communication tool,
analytical tool as well as resource allocation and task scheduling tools.
Simulation tool: SIMUL8 Professional is one of the simulation tool that can utilize for
getting better results. The simulation tool generally helps in improving processes for increasing
efficiency as well as for reducing costs.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
3. Project plan
3.1 Purpose
The main purpose of this project is to implement an ERP system for a retail company of
UK. It is identified that earlier the retail company utilizes manual system for managing the data
as well as information of the system. However, with the expansion of the business of the retail
company, the company faces difficulty in managing data as well as information. In order to
resolve the issue, the higher authority of the organization wants to implement an ERP system for
the company.
3.2 Assumptions and constraints
Assumptions
The assumptions that are made in the project are as follows:
 To implement the entire project within 120 days
 The implementation of an ERP system will be completed within the budget of around
$53,400.00
 The ERP system that is implemented will be helpful in resolving issues that the
company mainly faces due to the use of manual system within the company.
Constraints
The constraints that are made in the project are as follows:
 Scope: The entire project must be completed by following the scope of the project in
order to complete the entire project within estimated budget and time.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 Time: The implementation of the project must be completed within 117 days. If the
project manager is not able to complete the project then the budget of the project will
exceed.
 Budget: The entire project must be completed within the budget of around $53,400.00. If
the project budget exceeds then the project will face number of financial issue.
3.3 Scope
The scopes of the project are as follows:
 Completion of ERP implementation within the retail company
 The implementation of ERP helps in resolving operational as well as functional issues
of the company
 The entire project will be completed within 120 days
 Proper training must be provided to the workers of the organization so that they can
able to cope up with the new system easily.
3.4 Time management
3.4.1 Schedule
Task Name Duration Start Finish
Implementation of ERP system
within a retail Company
117 days Tue 1/16/18 Wed 6/27/18
Initiation phase 14 days Tue 1/16/18 Fri 2/2/18
Developing business case 3 days Tue 1/16/18 Thu 1/18/18
Undertaking feasibility study 4 days Fri 1/19/18 Wed 1/24/18
Establishing project charter 3 days Thu 1/25/18 Mon 1/29/18

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Appointing project team
members
4 days Tue 1/30/18 Fri 2/2/18
Milestone 1: Completion of
initiation phase
0 days Fri 2/2/18 Fri 2/2/18
Planning phase 44 days Mon 2/5/18 Thu 4/5/18
Creating project plan 5 days Mon 2/5/18 Fri 2/9/18
Financial plan 6 days Mon 2/12/18 Mon 2/19/18
Creating resource plan 4 days Tue 2/20/18 Fri 2/23/18
Developing risk plan 5 days Mon 2/26/18 Fri 3/2/18
Creating risk plan 5 days Mon 3/5/18 Fri 3/9/18
Developing quality plan 6 days Mon 3/12/18 Mon 3/19/18
Creating communication plan 4 days Tue 3/20/18 Fri 3/23/18
Creating acceptance plan 3 days Mon 3/26/18 Wed 3/28/18
creating procurement plan 6 days Thu 3/29/18 Thu 4/5/18
Milestone 2: Completion of
planning phase
0 days Thu 4/5/18 Thu 4/5/18
Execution phase 53 days Fri 4/6/18 Tue 6/19/18
Brainstorming 7 days Fri 4/6/18 Mon 4/16/18
Data migration 6 days Tue 4/17/18 Tue 4/24/18
Checking infrastructure 5 days Wed 4/25/18 Tue 5/1/18
Customization 7 days Wed 5/2/18 Thu 5/10/18

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Change management 4 days Fri 5/11/18 Wed 5/16/18
Technology and knowledge
transfer
6 days Thu 5/17/18 Thu 5/24/18
Setting and development 7 days Fri 5/25/18 Mon 6/4/18
End user training 6 days Tue 6/5/18 Tue 6/12/18
Deployment 5 days Wed 6/13/18 Tue 6/19/18
Milestone 3: Execution phase 0 days Tue 6/19/18 Tue 6/19/18
Closure phase 6 days Wed 6/20/18 Wed 6/27/18
Post project review 3 days Wed 6/20/18 Fri 6/22/18
Stakeholder sign off 2 days Mon 6/25/18 Tue 6/26/18
Documentation 1 day Wed 6/27/18 Wed 6/27/18
Milestone 4: Closure phase 0 days Wed 6/27/18 Wed 6/27/18

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3.4.2 Gantt chart
Figure 1: Gantt chart
(Source: Created by Author)

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
3.5 Budget
The budget that is needed for implementing ERP system for the retail Company is around
$53,400.00. The table below reflects the cost that is needed for completing each of the activities
of the project.
Task Name Duration Cost
Implementation of ERP system within a
retail Company
117 days $53,400.00
Initiation phase 14 days $5,200.00
Developing business case 3 days $1,320.00
Undertaking feasibility study 4 days $1,280.00
Establishing project charter 3 days $1,320.00
Appointing project team members 4 days $1,280.00
Planning phase 44 days $19,240.00
Creating project plan 5 days $2,200.00
Financial plan 6 days $1,440.00
Creating resource plan 4 days $1,280.00
Developing risk plan 5 days $2,000.00
Creating risk plan 5 days $2,600.00
Developing quality plan 6 days $3,120.00
Creating communication plan 4 days $2,400.00
Creating acceptance plan 3 days $1,320.00
creating procurement plan 6 days $2,880.00

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Execution phase 53 days $27,600.00
Brainstorming 7 days $3,920.00
Data migration 6 days $2,880.00
Checking infrastructure 5 days $2,400.00
Customization 7 days $3,080.00
Change management 4 days $2,400.00
Technology and knowledge transfer 6 days $3,840.00
Setting and development 7 days $3,080.00
End user training 6 days $3,600.00
Deployment 5 days $2,400.00
Closure phase 6 days $1,360.00
Post project review 3 days $720.00
Stakeholder sign off 2 days $400.00
Documentation 1 day $240.00
3.6 Communication management
Stakeholder Message Vehicles Frequency Communicator
s
Feedback
mechanism
Project
manager
Discusses
about the
allocation of
Email Whenever
required
Team leaders Proper
allocation of
resources

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
resources within the
project
Team leaders Discusses
about the
risks that are
associated
with the
project
Email,
conference
Monthly Project
managers
The risks
that are
associated
with the
project gets
resolved
Need of
training
The team
members
discusses
about the
need of
training
Email Whenever
required
Team leaders
and human
resource
manager
Proper
raining
facility is
provided to
the project
team
members.
3.7 Risk management
Risks Description Impact Probability Mitigation
measures
Exposing
sensitive data
When the retail
company is
working with
ERP system,
High High It is quite
important to sue
some security
measures in

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
then the
company can
expose sensitive
data to wrong
person which can
creates
challenges within
the organization.
order to secure
the confidential
as well as
sensitive data of
the company
properly.
Poor planning of
project
Due to poor
planning of
project, it
became quite
difficult to
complete the
implementation
of the project
within the
assumed budget
and time.
It is quite
important to plan
the project
effectively in
order to complete
the entire project
within estimated
time and budget.
Delayed updates
within the project
If the updates
are not updated
at proper time
then it will cause
Medium Medium It is quite
important to
update within the
project at proper