Critical Success Factors in Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation in U. S. Manufacturing

Book excerpt: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations can be costly for any company. While there are advantages to size and funding in larger businesses (500+ employees), there are critical success factors of the ERP process that small- to mid-size manufacturing (or other types of business organizations) can use to increase their rate of success for ERP. This must-buy book outlines research that targeted specific factors that increase any ERP implementation's success. Critical success factors were identified, and ranked, by 50+ subject matter expert consultants in the ERP field in this study. These SMEs, all with more than five years of experience in implementing ERPs for manufacturers, provided a consensus for best-practices factors vital for consideration for the ERP implementation, before, during, and after the exercise. Critical factors (failure and success) are highlighted for the planning, process, and follow-up, with positive internal and external results from the executive (top-down) buy-in to the communications and transparency of the process to middle management and line employee stakeholders. The vital points in the conclusion offer guidance to organizations, as well as ERP consultants, that are considering ERP implementation, even if the entity is not in the manufacturing industry. If you or your company is seriously considering an ERP project, this book is a required reading for industry intelligence and analytic insight. Proceeds from this book will benefit The Sydney Goldston Scholarship Foundation to make the dreams for future leaders a reality. More information about the foundation can be found at: www.thesydneyfoundation.org