If your business operates with silos in place it’s time to tear them down for good!
Many companies boast they have found the ERP software that is fully integrated and will serve the entire organization. When the principals make the decision to implement they are making a long term commitment. Once the company administrators and directors have performed their due diligence, a “new” integrated solution for the organization is born. The new addition will include a comprehensive ERP Solution together with state of the art technology. Does your business plan include an integrated solution? And if so why would you want to expend thousands of dollars to install and implement this new system without a firm commitment by all the employees in your company?
A Project implementation team cannot operate in a Silo
With each part only focusing on his or her area of the project, your company should be concentrating on breaking down silos in business. A well-managed organization with good leadership, will address how to handle and produce a quality implementation with its employees, and will take the time to motivate the employees to function as a team. I have been in several organization where the end users as well as the functional leads will only look at his or her area or department and refuse to take a look at the whole picture. Investopedia’s definition of ‘Silo Mentality’ as a business organizational structure is: “An attitude found in some organizations that occurs when several departments or groups do not want to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the same company. A silo mentality reduces efficiency and can be a contributing factor to a failing corporate culture”.
This kind of business organizational structure can also be one of the reasons an implementation project will fail. What’s more is some of the departmental employees operating in silos are not willing to spend time on the “Project” because they only have enough hours in the day to work on his or her “normal” work this will present a problem and slow progress. If a work plan was properly laid out at the beginning of the project there should be minimal grumbling by those that need to put in extra effort to achieve the overall organizational goal. Proper planning and expectations need to be set from the beginning, or employee cooperation and morale will erode quickly. The detailed work plan should be monitored and meetings held on a weekly or by weekly bases.
Finally the Project Manager will set the tone and take the lead, if he or she lacks the leadership ability and the skills require to spearhead the project, the project will be ill-fated and may require reorganization.
Learn more about how EstesGroup’s ERP project management services approaches breaking down silos in business.
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