Global Model Erp Software Implementation Project

1. Case study description; Global model ERP software implementation Project

This is the case that I experienced in 3 years ago as a global project member of ERP system implementation.  ERP software are built to collect and organize data from various levels of an organization, supply chain, procurement, finance, and so on through a series of interconnected executive dashboards.  The organization of this project were divided into 6 modules and managed by one project leader in Head Quarter office and Plant and I was in charge of "Demand Planning module".  The followings are the role of each team (table 1).

Global team:  Implementation this ERP to all countries in 10 years and management in each country’s request.  They divided each country into five phases and controlled a termination of old system as well.  

Regional team:  Adjustment local business model into global model and implementation the ERP in 15 months with local consultants.  Japan was the third country to be implemented in APAC and some members had experience Korea or China.

• Local Consultant:  Alignment local business model into global model.  Support and validation the data transfer to this ERP.  Support communication from technical and language perspective.
• Local team:  Nominated as a representative in each module.  Work with consultant to adjust local business model and train local users. (Full-time workers for this project)  
• SME:  Colleagues who knows well about current business in each module and assigned to support local team.  (70%: Current Job, 30%: supporting this project)
• User:  Get training one month before launch.

Most local team members were not familiar with this kind of project and a global ERP model since we had local customized software in each module.  Because of miscommunication between each, many users had to do unexpected additional work in new ERP. Users expected to have the exactly same functions which they had in their previous software and didn’t expect to have better function to improve their current job using new software.  

2. Case analysis and recommendations

2.1 Case Analysis

2.1.1 There are several differences/barriers between each team.

• Ethnic Group/Location  

Global team has US/European in US.  Regional Team has Chinese/Singaporean in China.  Local consultant team has Japanese and one Indian in Japan (Same project room with Local team, but HQ and Plant were located in different place and had each project room).  Local team has only Japanese in Japan and so does SME/User.      

• Language

English: Global team, Regional team, Local consultants, Local team (Expected to speak English, but some of them were hard to communicate with in English without consultants)