It seemed such a great idea at the time - implementing the new business application. The benefits would be realised without question. But where are the benefits when all is done?

Keeping the program cost in check starts at the planning and procurement stage. The rates negotiated will determine the cost of the project... right? Well... not exactly.

The first thing we do when we embark on an ERP or CRM project, is to limit the options for success. Success is defined as "delivering the scope by executing in accordance to the statement of work within the budget and timeframes agreed in the contract".

No matter what the indicators of failure are (either time, budget, scope, or any combination of these), or the construct of the project (Agile, Time and Material, Fixed Fee) - there are several mandatory steps and conditions to ensure any recovery is successful in getting the project back on track.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail" - wise words that are attributed to both Benjamin Franklin and Winston Churchill. But the statement is incomplete - you should plan for success, but you must also plan for failure.

Over the years, the methodologies to implement business systems, ERP and CRM, have evolved. Especially the vendor developed methodologies are constantly refined. However, a trend that has been taking off with the cloud adoption is Agile.

Business Systems Implementation is hard, and expensive. The company is investing significant time and money to get the new system up and running, with an expectation of Return On Investment.