Integrated Management System and Processes (IMSP) - Case Study Example

Integrated Management System and Processes (IMSP) An ERP Story: Background (A) (i) Jean Roberge is tasked by the Aux Bons Soins (ABS) higher management to implement a new direction of Information System Management (IMS) in ABS. The business has got two autonomous subsidiaries which are required to be integrated with the new (IMS). The three corporate entities have respective accounting, finance, human resource management, sales and marketing departments with distinct processes for each of these department functioning. After detail deliberation with his present team and personal efforts Roberge has enlisted following main characteristics and challenges required to be address by the proposed Information System Management and Process (IMSP) project; a. The project is required to be an enterprise level thoroughly integrated solution developed in ABC software. b. The solution is required to stream line the enterprise wide accounting, finance, human resource management, sales and marketing operation to give the higher management a real time proactive decision support. c. Roberge is a seasoned manager and fully understand the management vision of the IMSP. He knows, “A properly designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers in compiling useful information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge, business models, etc., to identify and solve problems and make decisions. (Howlett, Lakhmi & Shaun, 31). IMSP is required to support all the functionalities of an enterprise level corporate Decision Support System (DSS). d. Project management with assured timeline and budgetary compliances is a challenging task, especially with a fairly large scale project that is spread over a span of 24 months. e. Finding and deploying experienced, skilled and technically sound professionals is respective slots is first and foremost important decision and the success of the whole project rests over the formulation of effective and proficient team. f. Successful project completion is required to be followed with a carefully designed corporate-wide training campaign to ensure proper and effective implementation of the project. (ii) Jean Roberge has carefully outlined several requirements for IMSP project but few other information technology directives are required to be incorporated in order to ensure the successful implementation of IMSP in ABS Corporation. Following are few additional requirements to be fulfilled to ascertain a new direction ABS in information technology. a. A parallel project for enterprise level network infrastructure is required to be established to ensure the provisioning of effective and highly secure channel for corporate information interchange. The enterprise network will also assist in launching Sales department web module of IMSP project and home based access of corporate information system through Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology. b. Planning, designing and implementing a corporate-wide information technology policy with the cooperation of three corporate entities. c. Procurement of IT infrastructural devices for smooth implementation of the IMSP Project. An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B) (i) Jean Roberge has been given a presentation from am IT consultancy firm. Following key points are expected to be presented in this brief by François Caron, the account manager in charge of the relationship with the client, and Luc Martin, in charge of supervising the delivery of the mandate to the client; a. A highly impressive consultancy portfolio of the firms is presented in the beginning of the presentation. b. Various successful consultancy accomplishments along with respective clients’ commendations and reports are presented to gain the confidence of Roberge. c. A detailed understanding of the IMSP project is discussed to show the interest of the firm in the project d. Timeline and budgetary details are provided e. Future support and level of services are discussed f. The curriculum vitae of three project leader candidates are discussed at length to highlight respective experience, achievements, skills and proficiency of candidates. g. A cost-benefit analysis for the project consultancy h. Detailed question-answer session at the end of presentation in order to address any reservations and expectations. (ii) Keeping in mind Mr. Roberge’s point of view and the project specific requirements following recommendations were presented to help him review each of the three curriculum vitae presented by the consultancy firm; a. Mr. A has is determined to be the best candidate for the project leadership because of his added experience, three pure ABC implementations, environment of implementations match ABS environment. b. Mr. B sounds to be a strong candidate in technical aspects but lacks in ABC implementations. Moreover, most of his experience and implementations are in mini and main frame computing environments which do not match with ABS environment. c. Mrs. C does have complete and several partial ABC implementations but she lack in experience and her educational and career background does not provide enough diversity required for the ABS project. d. Because ABS Canada does not have any exposure in ABC technologies and implementations therefore, Mr. A with more ABC implementations suits its requirements better than rest of the two candidates. He has display good control in diverse development and implementation environments and it is hoped that Mr. A will proof the most suitable candidate for the development and implementation of ABC solution in ABS Canada. An ERP Story: Troubles Ahead (C) a. Offer your own analysis of the situation to Mr. Roberge to help him pinpoint the main causes of the difficulties of the project. The problems that are facing ABC solution are not new in the sense these were foresighted in project planning phase. Most of these problems are not technical in nature and they are aroused due to difference of perspective and lack adequate information regarding ABC solution. The reservations of finance and accounting department are raised in the early phase of project planning and the departments were not satisfied with the deliverable final outcome and the final product sounds them inferior to the existing system. However these reservations are superficial and demonstrate a fear of change which required to addressed at appropriate level. The functional members for finance and accounting departments are need to be briefed in detail on various aspects of the ABC solution in order to remove their genuine concerns regarding final product. Project manager’s briefs to various user groups were not designed professionally because it left an impression as if the ABC solution will change the work environment drastically; this alarmed the user groups who want to have minimal changes in the present interfaces and processes. The project manager is required to give another well tailored brief to user groups addressing their legitimate concerns and let them know the ease of use and reduce work load that ABC solution has to offer. The political dimensions of the change are needed to be evaluated and address in a befitting manner. The project manager has to respond to the queries and concerns of various functional managers and users in order to stay away from unnecessary blame game. Project Manager’s concern for the functional and business processes will help to pacify the arousing unrest among functional managers and user groups. However, it must be understand that such concern and tension are natural in environments where some major changes are required to be incorporated in process and functions. These issues are required to be handled with in a diplomatic manner and all efforts should be made to let the concerned managers and user groups visualize the effective and improved processes after complete implementation of the ABC solution. b. What should Mr. Roberge do now? Propose two possible solutions and present their respective advantages and disadvantages. There are two solutions to the problems facing the IMSP project. First being a change in project manager is quite risky because the selection was on merit and Mr. A was the best candidate available. The second solution is an intervention by the higher management in to the various issues raised by the functional and user groups and a detailed one on one briefing should be arranged in order to clarify the legitimate concerns. Mr. Roberge’s role in these briefings is pivotal because of his past experience with the users, functions and process of ABS Canada. Mr. Roberge is also required to appease the high management of ABS on solid technical ground while narrating the political dimensions of the present rifts in IT and functional managers. The solution of the problems lies in enhances collaboration and open debates on the issues. An ERP Story: Epilogue (D) The ABS project was ultimately completed successfully and the ABC software provided an integrated solution for all the three corporate entities. The project was a hard earned success and several factors played a crucial role in the eventual outcome of the project. Some of the contributing factors are enlisted in the following lines; i. Every project has an idea behind its success. The ABS Canada was a brain child of Mr. Jean Roberge. The role of Roberge in convincing the higher management for such huge investment is significantly important. ii. The higher management interest in the project made it possible for Mr. Roberge to outline a detailed sketch of the project. iii. The efforts of IT department in conducting a detailed Requirement Analysis are commendable and the analysis has proved the corner stone in the successful implementation of the ABS project. iv. The selection of ABC software package and allied technologies is attributed to the joint efforts of ABS management, IT department and the consultant firm. v. The consultancy services by GTI and especially the contributions of Mr. François Caron and Mr. Luc Martin are commendable. vi. The selection of a suitable project leader was significantly difficult and the selection panel presented by Mr. François Caron and Mr. Luc Martin was awfully professional and had played a central role in the successful accomplishment of the process. vii. Mr. Roberge and higher management interventions in the initial difficult phases of the project have made it possible to pacify various erupting problems. Mr. Roberge diplomatic approach in the eradication of these issues has enabled the project leader to complete the project peacefully. viii. The project leader’s technical expertises are equally important feature of the final success. The implementation of re-engineered processes in ABC software was a delicate technical issue which required a sound professional background and a higher level of professional commitment. The higher management and IT department has specially praised the efforts put forth by Mr. A for the successful completion of the project. ix. Last but not the least, the ABS staff has shown a great temperament in getting the processes right at the time of development and shown a great will to learn the new processes as well. Works Cited Howlett, Robert J., Lakhmi, C. Jain., and Shaun H. Lee. (EDS). Sustainability in Energy and Buildings: Proceedings of the International Conference in Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, United Kingdom: Springer, September 2009, Print. Read More