The Concept of Agile Project Management Usage for ERP Implementations

Dobromir Herzog , Michał Jakubiak

Abstract

Complexity of business processes within enterprises make the implementations of ERP systems more difficult and complicated projects. Traditional approach to project management becomes insufficient thus new ways and concepts are being considered. Companies developing and implementing ERP systems start researching of agile methodologies. Beside of their obvious advantages like faster system productive operation those frameworks have another set of challenges, conditions and restrictions comparing to traditional ones. Leading ERP vendors like SAP, Oracle or Microsoft sell their products with own agile methodologies – ready-made receipts for successful implementations. Since ERP projects are amongst biggest organizational efforts for most companies, they must verify whether such approach is meeting their expectations. The up to date effort made by project managers must be shifted and they need to focus on another factors like closer look to fit/gap analysis and resulting changes to standard or more on-going coordination of different modules during realization phase. The article discusses some advantages and drawbacks of contemporary project management methodologies used in the area of ERP implementations.