Organizations are Complex Systems
Organizations are highly dynamic complex entities, and as such human beings are constantly inventing technologies to attempt to minimize complexity and dynamism. At some point in time, the leadership of a company charged with making key decisions involving ways to manage complexity and dynamism (two effects that we believe generate uncertainty and its close cousin risk) decide they need a new technology. Perhaps they feel things are becoming too unmanageable, or the need to compete better, or just keep up. Whatever the rationale (and there is always one lurking) for such decisions, one thing we know, such decisions necessarily bring about change and usually some sort of large-scale change. One never knows if an ERP deployment will trigger more positive change (efficiencies or effectiveness-however you measure them) or create even more uncertainty or risk.
Managing Culture in ERP Deployment
An ERP deployment is much more than just the technical requirements or specifications. It is every bit about aligning a culture to make your newly adopted technology work to its fullest potential. This is primarily why we talk about managing the culture that is experiencing both changes in how employees do their work using the new IT system and processes, and the way the organization appears to change in more dramatic structural (yet often subtle) ways within the bigger picture.
Navigating ERP Deployment with Nestell & Associates
At Nestell & Associates (N&A), we try and keep the project delivery within its own context, yet we can also appreciate that whatever technology is implemented, there will be significant changes that will disrupt the status quo. We can be prepared, anticipate some, yet new problems and new issues will emerge that no one will have fully anticipated or had much experience dealing with and that is where we at N&A will be able to help. We may not have seen or solved these impediments either, but we have the lenses and the tools to help you [sense-make] in navigating this new ground. After all, this is what makes the challenges so compelling. At N&A, we can help you test your assumptions, uncover the facts shaping new issues, and locate and define disconnects. We understand that your ERP deployment depends on time deadlines, resource constraints, budget limits, etc. Yet we also believe that if your employees are engaged and committed, hence, the culture is aligned then these things will become more manageable and yield better results.
Overcoming ERP Obstacles Together
There will be obstacles to overcome, we help place the ones we need to face head-on right on the table. We will help answer the question, what is in this for me? We will always help everyone answer, “What is it going to take to enlist your full support and participation?” Your ERP deployment success is our mission!