Knowledge sharing and transfer happen when co-workers interact on projects and share input (Davenport & Prusak, 2000). Attaran (2000) highlights a common reason for failure of business process initiatives is not using the best people the organization has to develop and implement the program. In response to this, the resources allocated for this project should include at least one representative from every department and location, and should also consist of the best people who bring knowledge, experience, an inquisitive attitude, and enthusiasm to the activity.

Time is always of utmost concern when undertaking a new project. Pressure to accomplish significant results quickly can lead to stress and burnout; yet, moving too slowly can lead to atrophy and non-completion. There must be a balance agreed to by the leadership team and the implementation team. A detailed timeline similar to the one presented here should be prepared and distributed or posted so that everyone has access to the plan.

The cost of purchasing the Workflow Management module, the travel costs, and the cost of the implementation team’s time should all be considered and accounted for before the design of the program begins. The cost of the module is estimated at under $50,000 (Personal Communication, Ravi Dhareshwar, May 15, 2006), so even a 10% improvement in lower inventory would more than justify the project. However, a detailed benefits analysis should be prepared with actual quotes and with the assistance of the Accounting department. The project must be justified and approved for financial expenditures.

The goal of this integration plan is to lower inventory, reduce transaction costs, eliminate excess and obsolete inventory, and significantly increase the efficiency of the supply chain. By providing suppliers and business partners with forecast visibility, contracts can be negotiated with lower unit costs and more attractive terms. With inventory currently over $9 million, even a small percentage of improvement in that area alone will more than likely offset the costs of the project implementation.

Most employees have not been adequately trained on the functionalities of Baan with regard to how to best utilize the system. All departments need to be trained on Baan as an ERP system, and all departments need to be transitioned to using Baan for all business functions before the Workflow Management module is implemented. One strength the company can capitalize on is that the IT Manager was previously employed at Baan. His knowledge of the system is an extreme asset to this project. External training for all users could become quite expensive. An alternative method of training may be to adopt a Train-the-Trainer approach. The IT Manager would then train a group of people who could penetrate the workforce quickly.

Although the goal is to encourage user involvement at every level of the implementation, a project team and organization plan must be in place to keep the project activities structured and flowing.

Attaran (2000) reports that failure to provide organizational communication throughout the entire project can lead to failure of the overall business process activity. A communication plan must be developed and implemented at key milestone points to foster user involvement and acceptance of the overall strategy. With due respect to the importance of user input and status communication of the project, a communication plan is established and adhered to by the implementation team.

The implementation team must first identify key knowledge resources required for each department to improve their business processes. This is done in a team environment using value-stream mapping.

The design phase begins with training all functional departments on the functionality of Baan and transferring all the external databases to Baan. This is the only way to ensure the integration of all areas as well as the success of the WMS. Some departments such as engineering and quality are not utilizing the appropriate modules within Baan for data tracking, preferring to use separate databases such as Microsoft Access or Excel to record and track daily activities, which undermines the purpose of running an ERP system.

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Robert Smith was born in New York City in 1956. He has spent more than 12 years working as a professor of English at New York University. He is fond of giving writing tips for students. Now he spends most of his time with his family and shares his experience in custom term papers and custom thesis papers.

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