Professional services challenges: Delivering Microsoft Dynamics GP project success

In the world of ERP we often hear about high failure rates on implementations, sometimes quoted as high as 50% or more.  How can this be, and why?  To gain a firsthand understanding of these challenges I sat down with Jon Colesby the Professional Services Director of InterDyn LANAC Technology of Chicago and one of his top team members, Consultant Jessica Martinez.

A recent ERP implementation study has some new insights. It found that 54% respondents in this year's survey saw project cost overruns, 72% exceeded the planned duration, and 66% said they did not feel they received adequate benefits given their investment.

It really all starts with the sales process. The customer has to work through the why aspect of any ERP project. They need to really embrace not simply how the product can provide accounting and business process/procedures improvement; they need to address and justify their short term and long term goals. They are seeking to accomplish some degree of transformation - something potentially vastly different than what they are experiencing today.

In a perfect world, the VAR accepts the lead project responsibility, however, the customer has a role as well that should be agreed on by both themselves and the consulting team. The customer needs to step up and embrace that area of responsibility.

"One thing I do not see enough of is VARs telling a customer they are not ready for an ERP project or that the product we offer is not a good fit for their specific needs," says Colesby, "Dynamics ERP Solutions are highly competitive when they're on the shortlist, but sometimes you have to walk away from a sale." During the sales cycle ...