1

Reflections on the Capstone Project: What I Would Do Differently and Key Findings

Student’s Name

Department, Institutional Affiliation

Course Number and Name

Instructor’s Name

Due Date
 2

Reflections on the Capstone Project: What I Would Do Differently and Key Findings

Based on the insights I gained while completing this capstone project and specifically

concentrating on the pre-ERP project preparations, I would like to share a few things I would

consider changing if I could do this project again. From this process, I have gained much insight

into what can be done to enhance some aspects of problem-solving and what strategies could be

employed. In addition, three key observations based on the investigation process can be

highlighted as the most important lessons learned about ERP implementations.

What I Would Do Differently

Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement

This is one of the most critical areas I would modify, and it entails including stakeholder

mapping right from the project's initiation phase. One of the most important factors is the

stakeholders' constant involvement in recognizing their demands, expectations, and concerns.

Another area for improvement was that expectations and definitions of success were quite

diverse within different departments, which could result in disagreements and even stagnation.

This shows that by establishing good relations and open communication channels at the project's

initial stage, I would have been able to reduce most of these problems. Stakeholders' meetings

more frequently with updates and feedback will guarantee proper coordination and early

recognition of possible issues (Flores, 2019).

Advanced Project Management Techniques

Also, there is a need to expand the use of more sophisticated project management tools

and methods. If traditional approaches had been applied, it could have been more adaptable to
 3

change by embracing agile methodologies. The principles such as iterative progress, feedback,

and adaptive plans endorsed by Agile methodologies have been found to be useful, especially in

complex projects such as ERP implementation. Also, having a strong risk management

framework in place from the start could have provided better ways of recognizing and addressing

risks. This would mean more frequent risk scans would be carried out, and a contingency plan to

help the project address challenges easily would be formulated (Alaskari et al., 2021).

Comprehensive Training and Preparation

Another key modification is to spend more time in the training and developmental stages

of the plan. Making sure that both the IT and the business side of the team are comprehensively

trained and possess a clear understanding of the ERP systems and their tasks within the project

could go a long way in minimizing the learning curve and enhancing productivity. During the

early phase of the project, some of the project team members even needed help understanding the

integration of the various ERP systems that are incorporated in the project, thus time overruns

and misunderstandings. Comprehensively, training in the form of workshop sessions and

continuous training helps establish the necessary competency and confidence among the team

members that, in turn, can positively impact project delivery outcomes (Ylätupa, 2021).

Key Findings from the Investigation

Strategic Pre-Project Planning

The study also pointed out that planning was a crucial and strategic phase in the pre-

project stage of ERP projects. This phase is important in defining potential risks and ensuring the
 4

project aligns with the organization's goals. When one takes his/her time to analyze and prepare

for all the eventualities, many of the causes of problems, for instance, exaggerated time of

completion and cost overruns, can be avoided. This conclusion also supports the current

literature, suggesting that it is critical to have a clear vision of the strategic plan based on the

needs and context of the organization. For instance, Archana et al. (2022) pointed out the need to

ensure the right implementation strategy in a given organization is chosen based on the goals and

conditions of operation.

Effective pre-project planning involves several key components:

1. Robust Methodology Selection: Therefore, the selection of the methodology that suits

the culture of the organization, the level of complexity of the process, and the technologies that

are available in the organization needs to be done carefully. The choice of the methodology

should, therefore, be made based on a strategic assessment of the requirements and challenges

inherent to the endeavor (Archana et al., 2022).

2. Advanced Technological Preparation: The IT infrastructure and the team should also

be ready to undertake the ERP implementation. This ensures that employees are trained and have

the necessary tools to support the new system requirements (Walko et al., 2020).

3. Integrated Change Management Plans: Full stakeholder engagement at the initial

phases of change management helps minimize disturbances through proper planning for change.

Another key element incorporated into these plans is communication and engagement of

stakeholders and feedback procedures (Flanding & Grabman, 2022).

Importance of Change Management

 5

Since ERP systems implementation, it has been identified that change management is a

crucial factor in the success of the systems. Another success factor is the ability to address many

organizational change issues, such as training, communication, and stakeholder engagement.

This is supported by literature where Flanding & Grabman (2022) have also stated that change

management is not just a technical process but needs to condition the organization culturally and

psychologically for the impending change.

Change management strategies should focus on the following:

1. Training and Education: Organizing a training session will let all users become familiar with

the new system and feel at ease using it (Flores, 2019).

2. Managing Expectations: Managing people's expectations regarding the benefits they are

likely to accrue from the ERP system, as well as the timelines within which such benefits will be

realized (Patel, 2020).

3. Continuous Communication: Communicating with all the stakeholders and getting their

commitment to the intended change, thus, minimizing any resistance to change (Baker &

Haddara, 2019).

Flexibility in ERP Implementation Strategies

The outcomes of the project brought out the fact that there is a need to be selective and

dynamic in the selection and application of the methodologies to be used in ERP

implementation. It is important to understand that various organizations and situations need

different strategies, even though the most popular are Waterfall and other modern ones based on

the agile approach. Comparing the different ERP systems (Ylätupa, 2021) reveals that
 6

compliance with the methodology to the nature and requirements of the organization is one of

the main factors that affect the project's success. Flores (2019) and Walko et al. (2020) also

highlighted that ideal changes and flexibility during the implementation process must be

encouraged to reduce the disruption of the change process.

To ensure the adaptability of ERP implementation methodologies:

1. Customizable Methodologies: Select techniques that can be applied in a manner that will suit

the needs of the organization. This may entail integrating different methodologies to develop an

approach most suitable to the project (Alharthi et al., 2019).

2. Proactive Risk Management: Use a flexible risk management framework that can be

modified during the project's progress to accommodate new risks (Qumer & Purkayastha, 2021).

3. Continuous Improvement: Encourage people to give feedback on how the implementation

process may be done better in the future so that feedback is collected and acted upon (Sebastian,

2020).

Conclusion

Based on the capstone project, establishing a more active, adaptable, and open approach

would have greatly increased the general effectiveness and efficiency of the project. If we had

better stakeholder management, better project management tools and techniques, and proper

training and preparation, such questions could have been managed better, and the project could

have had better results.

The three key conclusions – the need for pre-project planning, change management as a

critical aspect of ERP implementation, and the viability of ERP implementation methodologies –

offer insights into the challenges of ERP implementations. Such research results suggest the
 7

following: the necessity of thorough planning, the importance of the ability to adapt to changing

situations, and the necessity of being actively involved in collaboration with stakeholders to

achieve the goals set for implementing such projects. In future ERP implementations, lessons

learned from this study will be useful in enhancing project results and should be properly

documented.

References

Alaskari, O., Pinedo-Cuenca, R., & Ahmad, M. M. (2021). Framework for implementation of

enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A

case study. Procedia Manufacturing, 55, 424-430.

Alharthi, S., Shehab, E., & Al-Ashaab, A. (2019). A Study on the Challenges of Implementing

Cloud-Based ERP. In Advances in Manufacturing Technology XXXIII (pp. 436-445). IOS

Press.
 8

Archana, M., Varadarajan, D. V., & Medicherla, S. S. (2022). Study on the ERP implementation

methodologies on SAP, Oracle Netsuite, and Microsoft Dynamics 365: A review. arXiv

preprint arXiv:2205.02584.

Baker, R. C., & Haddara, M. (2019). I am exploring consultants' role in ERP systems

implementations. In 2nd IADIS International Conference Information Systems (pp. 163-

170).

Flanding, J. P., & Grabman, G. M. (2022). We are launching ERP Systems to Deliver Successful

Change. In Purpose-driven Innovation: Lessons from Managing Change in the United

Nations (pp. 141-159). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Flores, C. (2019). Exploring strategic process improvements during an ERP implementation at

G3 Enterprises (Doctoral dissertation).

JS, S., Lakshminarasimhan, S. N., & Ganiger, B. (2022). Studies on Effective Usage of SAP

ERP Tool to Control Materials Planned Delivery Time in Oil and Gas Industries. Journal

of Mines, Metals & Fuels, 70.

Menon, S. (2019). Benefits and process improvements for ERP implementation: Results from an

exploratory case study. International Business Research, 12(8).

Obwegeser, N., Danielsen, P., Hansen, K. S., Helt, M. A., & Nielsen, L. H. (2019). Selection and

training of super-users for ERP implementation projects. Journal of Information

Technology Case and Application Research, 21(2), 74-89.

Patel, J. K. (2020). ERP implementation and successful post-sustainment. International Journal

of Computer Trends and Technology, 68(10), 44–48.

Qumer, S. M., & Purkayastha, D. (2021). ERP Implementation Failure at Revlon. IUP Journal

of Operations Management, 20(3), 52-67.

 9

Saxena, D., & McDonagh, J. (2019). Evaluating ERP Implementations: The Case for a

Lifecycle-based Interpretive Approach. Electronic Journal of Information Systems

Evaluation, 22(1), pp29-37.

Sebastian, G. L. O. R. I. N. (2020). Evolution of the role of risk and controls team in an ERP

Implementation. IJMPERD, ISSN (P), 2249-6890.

Ungureanu, I., Tapurica, O. C., Calinescu, M. S., & Mihai, I. I. (2022). ERP implementation in a

research-development institute in Romania-perception case study. Journal of Public

Administration, Finance and Law (JOPAFL), 241-49.

Walko, J., Olney, M., & Hunt, D. (2020). The rise of SaaS ERP solutions. Management in

Healthcare, 4(4), 340-349.

Ylätupa, J. (2021). Remote implementation of ERP/MES-system.