The concept of the flawless launch can easily be applied to large software projects at global manufacturing companies. After all the planning, scoping, and budgeting has been completed, there is a brief period in which the project is “launched” that is fraught with pitfalls.

See how one SAP program manager at a large multinational automotive manufacturing corporation designs his IT department’s version of the flawless launch. The program manager has requested anonymity, and is referred to in this article as “the expert.”

The Challenges

First, a brief look at the obstacles to executing the flawless launch of an SAP project. Because most large projects will affect or alter the business processes to which many employees have become accustomed, several obstacles stand in the way of a successful launch:

• Employees may not expect the business process changes that result from the project
• Management may reconsider whether the strategy behind the project is still the correct one
• Employees may fear changes to available support resources
• System changes may affect other areas of the SAP system
• Cost overruns can harm the project’s support
• Fear of “crash landings” can ruin a project that has already been completed on the technical side

Just as an oversight or delay at any stage can grind a manufacturing launch to a halt, failure to prepare to meet these challenges can doom an SAP project launch. The following six keys can provide a framework for dealing with these challenges.

Key #1: A Global Project Requires Global Management

When managing a global project or portfolio, it is important to remember that each project team tends to focus on its own projects to the exclusion of others. This can have disastrous implications for a global project because system changes can create a domino effect that alters business processes outside the purview of one single project.

Simultaneous projects can also contradict or negate each other’s effectiveness if not managed properly.

“If you run your own project only, you fail. You have to ensure that all connected projects are integrated in your plan, so that information flows freely and people are engaged with the full set of projects,” says the expert.

The answer is to ensure that the project is governed by an integrated project management office (PMO) capable of managing the interplay between sites and project simultaneously. The PMO should take responsibility to ensure that all changes to business processes are accounted for, and prepared for, before go-live.

That’s easier said than done, of course. However, the expert offers a few tips for ensuring the PMO is ready for the challenge:

• Make sure you consider the effect any project will have on other projects at the earliest planning stages
• Keep up strong relationships with key stakeholders during in-flight projects
• Never underestimate seemingly small tasks, such as data cleansing, that can negatively affect the implementation

Key #2: Align the Delivery Model and Project Execution

While the PMO is responsible for ensuring the project’s integration with other internal projects, the project manager must still secure buy-in from site managers — who may have difficulty understanding the reason for the project or accepting the changes likely to result.

“We tend to go to these sites and say ‘This is what you get and these are the processes . . .’ it’s like we speak a completely different language,” says the expert. “You have to spend time at the sites to understand their language. This makes it much easier to get their buy-in, and is a better solution than just implementing the project.”

Spending time at the sites will also give the project team a more accurate assessment of the “as-is” status of the site’s system landscape and SAP interfaces, and ensure that all sites are using the same or compatible project methodologies to complete their assigned tasks. This time should also be used to address the impact of the changes.

Key #3: Rely on Simple Project Management Tools for the Whole Project

When it comes to employing project management tools in a large global project, sophistication does not necessarily equal results. Using simple management tools — such as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and basic risk management grids — is preferable, as long as the project manager exercises due diligence.

For example, while most project managers complete a risk management assessment at the outset of a project, it is imperative that those risks be reevaluated periodically throughout the project using the same basic tools (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Plotting the likelihood and impact of each risk

“A lot of people do risk management once, but you have to do it in a sequence to show if you are improving,” says the expert. “You have to make sure you are visualizing and following through on risk mitigation throughout the process.”

Tollgate reviews conducted at each phase of the project help formalize this process, he says. An example risk management tollgate review is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

A sample tollgate review for risk management, including questions that must be answered to pass the tollgate.

Other necessary diligence activities using simple project management tools include creating a spreadsheet for assigning and tracking responsibilities throughout the duration of the project (Figure 3).

Figure 3

A simple but detailed layout helps align project, business, and support teams at multiple sites.

Key #4: Keep Dedicated Teams on Site

Just as one defective component can derail a flawless launch for a new manufacturing product, one site’s failure to meet its project goals can have an adverse effect on the entire project. The key to avoiding this trap, according to the expert, is to have teams at each site dedicated to the successful implementation of the global project.

“This is important, because not only does it help to have people on site for face-to-face interaction, but you will probably need on-site team members that specialize in certain things like data migration or testing,” he says.

Key #5: Cleanse and Migrate Data as Early as Possible

At the local level, project teams must be sure to enact data cleansing and migration efforts well in advance of cutover or go-live. This is often a challenge, as delays in the development phase may prompt sites to postpone data cleansing until shortly before go-live.

However, shortcuts in the data cleansing or migration project can have a negative impact on the project.

“It is very important, because it affects the quality of the project later on. It also helps the performance of the system to get your data cleaned up,” says the expert.

Key #6: Budget Extra Time for Testing

Many project managers simply move a project forward after basic user acceptance testing straight to go-live. In this case, bugs and issues are fixed on the fly, which can harm user adoption dramatically.

“Normally what happens is you find something little and don’t get to it right away. Then when the system is live and running, the user is surprised and upset that the issue is still there,” says the expert.

He recommends budgeting a time freeze between user acceptance tests and go-live to ensure proper bug fixing and re-testing, and to create a final business readiness assessment.

Challenges Abound

Even if you adhere to these six keys, the flawless launch is still a difficult target to hit. However, the concepts and suggestions here are intended to give global SAP project managers an appropriate framework for rising to the challenge.

Davin Wilfrid

Davin Wilfrid was a writer and editor for SAPinsider and SAP Experts. He contributed case studies and research projects aimed at helping the SAP ecosystem get the most out of their existing technology investments.

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