Project Management: ERP Implementation Plan for Walmart Inc.

This report analyzes a project plan for implementing an ERP system at Walmart Inc., focusing on addressing operational and functional challenges to enhance efficiency. It identifies risks associated with presenting the plan to management, such as limited scope, lack of risk management strategies, and absent financial planning. The report evaluates the project's alignment with Walmart's strategic goals, emphasizing its potential to improve sales and customer retention. Furthermore, it provides guidance on effectively presenting the project to management, highlighting traps to avoid and strategies to ensure buy-in and approval. The ultimate aim is to leverage the ERP system to overcome communication breakdowns and data management issues, thereby boosting Walmart's competitive advantage.

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Project Management
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Project Management
Referring to the unit 4 assignment, the project plan adopted was the implementation of
ERP system in Walmart Inc. The project plan was meant to address the operational and
functional challenges facing the company in order to increase the company efficiency. The
competitive advantage enjoyed by Walmart due to its high-quality production of goods and
services have led to increased demand and thus the company market niche has expanded (Song,
2018). The main aim of the company is to expand the customer base on top of retaining the
existing consumer index. This however have been met by various challenges including data
management issues and communication breakdown among the company’s personnel (Kerzner, &
Kerzner, 2017). The nomination of the ERP system is meant to address these challenges in order
to increase the company’s efficiency. The scope of this report is to scrutinize on any risks
expected during the presentation of the project plan to the management, to evaluate whether the
project fits the strategic plan of the business and also elaborate on how the project will be
presented to the management.
Risks involved in presenting the project to the management team
Gauging from the scope of the project plan on ERP system implementation for Walmart
Inc., there are various inherent gaps which are likely to pause as a risk in the presentation table.
The project plan presented has a limited scope. The project plan presented has solely focused on
addressing the communication challenges facing the company. It has negated or other challenges
which the ERP system is supposed to address. Some of these other challenges includes the data
management due to increased sales as a result of the company’s increase in demand for its
products. The project faces a risk of being declined by the management team during presentation
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as it fails to outline the project risk management strategies. Whereas the project discourses the
communication challenge and how the ERP system intends to address it, the plan fails to point
out the various risks that would be faced while implementing the project and how the risks could
be mitigated (Collyer, & Warren, 2009). Additionally, the project plan does not highlight the key
assumptions for the implementation of the project. This is a risk that will expose the presenter of
the project to unwarranted criticism. The project plan has loopholes that will expose the
presenter to presser of zero-defense to project critics who in this case happens to be the
management team. Critically, the project plan has failed to establish the financing plan. The plan
does not how the project will be financed and the cost-benefit analysis for the project. The
project may be too expensive to implement in comparison to the benefits to be accrued from the
same.
Does the project fit the strategic plan of the business?
Analyzing the scope of the project plan, it can be noted that the project corresponds with
the strategic plan of the business. The medium strategic plan of Walmart Inc. is to increase the
sales volume by providing high quality goods and services thus attracting more new consumers
while retaining the existing market niche (Song, 2018). Looking at the project management
cycle, the second phase after project initiation is the project planning where the aims and
SMART objectives of the plan are outlined (Blomquist, Hällgren, Nilsson, & Söderholm, 2010).
The aims and objectives of the project must correspond with the aims and goals of the business.
In the case of Walmart, the aim of the ERP system project is to address the operational and
functional challenges that are facing the company restraining it to achieve its goals. This fits into
the strategic plan of the company as the solution to the operational and functional challenges
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would increase the company’s efficiency in production and delivery of high-quality goods and
services. This will in turn result into increased sales and thus a wider profit margin.
How to present the project to the management
One of the milestones for any project manager is to have the opportunity to present to
senior executives. This is because the platform poses as an opportunity for the project manager to
showcase their capability in the organization (Swathi, 2016). This in turn has a direct impact on
job promotions or even on decisions regarding project bids. However, in case of poor
presentations, the project manager establishes a negative relationship with the organization.
Since the ERP system project for Walmart fits the strategic plan of the business as discussed
above, and in a view of the inherent risks likely to be experienced while presenting the project,
the project manager will have to be keen and attentive while making the presentation.
There are various traps in presentations which the project manager ought to avoid. The
project manager avoids lacking preparations and confidence. There is a fear phobia which is
usually associated with presentations where the presenter loses confidence (Collyer, Warren,
Hemsley, & Stevens, 2010). This usually occurs if the presenter fails to prepare adequately.
Another trap to avoid as the presenter in ERP system for Walmart Inc. is asking the management
for the solution. It is the project manager (presenter) who ought to offer solutions and not ask for
solutions from the management. Additionally, the ERP system project manager presenting the
plan should avoid providing to many alternatives. This is because it will negate from the aims
and objectives of the project to create confusions. Moreover, the presenter should avoid missing
to give out the next step. The project manager should outline with clarity the next step
chronologically (Zwikael, & Globerson, 2006).
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Having looked at the various traps to be avoided by the presenter, how would the project
manager make the presentation?? To begin with, the presenter should have the end in the mind.
The presenter should have a clue on what he would want the management to do after finishing
the presentation (Thomas, Jacques, Adams, & Kihneman-Woote, 2008). It is important to know
the management team to whom the project is being presented. It is crucial to understand their
styles in that you determine whether they are strategic thinkers or analytical thinkers. It is
important also to know whether they are visual or data oriented. This will inform what will
comprise of the presentation. The project manager who in this case is the presenter should set a
vision for the management team. The presenter should make sure that the management team
have a figurative idea of what the end will be after the implementation of the ERP system as a
solution to the operational and functional problems. Additionally, the presenter should define his
success criteria by clearly outlining what the project requires in order to succeed. The presenter
should highlight the resource requirements (finances and human) for the project to succeed
(Dvir, Raz, & Shenhar, 2013). A good presenter should ensure he get the buy-in and sign off
there and then. The management team should not remember what was said, or the project
specifications or what was agreed once the presentation is over. The presenter should also ensure
that what is supposed to be approved by authorities or signors have been approved once the
presentation is done and the management consent to the implementation of the ERP system.
Conclusion
The ERP project implementation presentation would act as an avenue to address some of
the risk factors that were identified to influence the management team negatively during the
presentation. The paper has outlined the various risk factors including limited project scope, lack
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of risk management strategies and also lack of key assumptions in the plan which would give the
management team an upper hand to critic the project. The essay then evaluates the fitness of the
project to the strategic plan of the business. The final part of the essay outlines the various
mechanisms which the project manager of the ERP system would employ to present the project
to the management team.
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References
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Song, X. (2018, June). A Study on Management Model of Human Resources in Multinational
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International Conference on Sports, Arts, Education and Management Engineering
(SAEME 2018). Atlantis Press.
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Swathi, T. V. S. S (2016).” The importance of effective presentation for organizational success”.
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