I know it’s March – but it’s still snowing in Chicago…. And as I watched the neighborhood kids build a snowman, I realized that project managers spend most of their day (even in the summer) trying to prevent the snowball effect from taking hold of a project.

Risk Management in a project is all about containing risks and ensuring that a single situation doesn’t escalate out of control, creating an avalanche of problems.

A common occurrence in ERP implementations is the lack of dedicated business resources. The risk of an improperly staffed Business Team is often witnessed during a project’s first month when requirement validation meetings are impossible to schedule due to the demands of the day-to-day operational needs. This situation compounds when meetings that are scheduled are poorly attended; leaving the implementation group wondering who from the business can explain what needs to be built. Shortly thereafter, additional risks emerge when strategic decisions about process and design are needed and key members from the business group are missing or ill prepared. As the project progresses, the business representatives begin to fall farther and farther behind in their knowledge of the solution and lack the ability to approve the solution during final acceptance testing. Project timelines slip, as the business requests extensions to key milestone dates such as requirements approval, CRP participation and solution approval. Training opportunities are lost and the organization finds itself with a system that is ready and poised for deployment, but an organization that has fallen so far behind they don’t know how properly use it.

That’s one heck of a snowball! If your organization is planning on implementing an ERP solution, ensure you consider how best to position the team for success by ensuring the availability of business leaders (subject matter experts).

Want to know more about Project Management?  Attend Janet Dahmen’s sessions (418 & 841) at COLLABORATE 15 #C15LV with @IOUG! http://bit.ly/c15lv

Janet Dahmen is Avout’s Delivery Services Partner who focuses on ensuring the overall effectiveness and quality of each engagement.  She has over 20 years of project management experience in the IT industry, specializing in Oracle ERP implementations.