Earned Value Management for ERP Implementations
ERP implementations are a special breed of projects. They are often characterized by aggressive timelines, high budgets and involvement of diverse teams. This emphasizes the need to have a reliable tool to measure the performance of ERP implementations throughout the execution phases.
Earned Value Analysis, with its basis in cost, benefit and timeline is a good financial tool for Project managers. I have recently written a white paper that establishes the key concepts of Earned Value analysis. Metrics such as EV, PV, AC, CPI, SPI are explained at an overview level. In this paper Earned value analysis is applied to the individual phases of a typical ERP implementation using an illustrative project. Each phase of the implementation such as, requirements gathering, is analyzed by giving an overview of the phase, describing the major activities and then describing the EVM(Earned Value Management) activities that need to take place in that phase.
This paper highlights how Earned value analysis can be used for ERP implementations with a focus on the phases of ERP implementation.
Read More in the White Paper titled - Eaned Value Managed for ERP Implementations,available at http://www.infosys.com/oracle/white-papers/default.asp
Comments
I enjoyed reading your white paper, a very well articulated view point on the complex subject of 'Earned Value'.
In my experience of managing an ERP program utilising Earned Value as a key measure, I observed the following:
1 - Educating the program's key stakeholders on the topic of Earned Value was critical
2 - The approach taken to capture the EV data, ensuring that the additional admin was not overly burdensome was key to winning the hearts and minds of the program's team leads on adopting this approach
3 - Getting the above point correct ensured the quality and accuracy of the data
4 - The design of the presentation of EV data, EV graphs, etc was key to the successful use of the approach
For time critical, complex, ERP programs with a close eye on program efficiency I highly recommend the approach.
Regards,
John
Posted by: John Lawson, Senior Principal, Infosys Consulting | October 23, 2008 8:56 AM