The Blog

 An introduction blog series to why SAP®; PM Software Implementations fail and how to avoid failure

In the previous blog in this series, we touched on some of the reasons why EAM / CMMS / SAP PM implementations fail. By thoroughly understanding the principles that should be in place, most of the root causes of an implementation failure can be avoided.

Implementing a CMMS or EAM system within an organization is never a small task. It is a mountain of work to prepare the organization for the change, and even more work to set the system up and get everyone trained. Having the correct principles at heart will increase the chances of a successful implementation. Price Pritchett said the following: “We need timeless principles to steer by in running our organizations and building our personal careers. We need high standards . . . the ethics of excellence.”

Principles for Success

The focus is to create a successful and predictable outcome; a business-driven system implementation. Let’s take a look at the principles that I believe are important to ensure success:

Having the correct principles at heart will support a successful implementation.

• Be business focused… Engage the business community and get direct involvement and representation to ensure the business perspective and requirements form the core of the implementation. The business requirements and the determined outcome need to drive which system functionality is implemented.
• Be outcome driven… Today’s workforce is very task oriented. We create task lists and checklists to ensure inspection points and tasks are not overlooked. We have mobile devices with prioritized tasks and we are bombarded by advertisements prompting us to action. We have become very task or next step oriented. Sometimes we repeat tasks and keep getting the same flawed results, yet we repeat the tasks in the same manner. During the implementation process we tend to forget about the desired or predefined outcome, and our focus quickly drifts towards short-term objectives.
• Be comprehensive but not unrealistic… When designing and implementing a holistic asset management solution, missing any essential part will compromise the outcome. Design and implement the various business components over time. It is impossible for the organization to effectively implement Defect Elimination, Planning & Scheduling, Storeroom Management, Contractor Management, Procurement, FMEA/RCM analysis and reliability strategy development all at the same time. It is too much to manage and execute with the lean organizations of today. Also, define what is essential and phase the “bells and whistles” in after the core is complete. Don’t design and implement everything at the same time.
• Be quality centered… Implementing a business solution backed by an integrated and well-crafted CMMS solution takes the right people. Having a well-defined functional package does not mean that it will be magically implemented, absorbed and used by the organization. You need the right mix of skills and attitudes to be able to deliver a quality solution, a solution that does not drive the end-users crazy.
• Be people focused… at the end of the day, people are the beginning and the end of any business. Can we have the desired outcome without people taking ownership of the designed and implemented business work processes, the maintenance of master data, the management of their workloads, the recording of history, and the evaluation of quality and performance? Of course not. Without knowledgeable and dedicated people, we have nothing. Make sure they are engaged, educated, trained and coached beyond their expectations by meeting their needs to be successful.

Thank you for reading! Remember, the use of Timeless Principles sets the stage for a successful implementation.

A Maintenance & Reliability Perspective by Quadro Solutions, authored by Daniel Van Wyk

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