C&J ERP launch Software Project Management as a Service

C&J ERP consulting has launched a project management as a service (PMAAS) offering to companies in the UK to help improve the success rates of software implementation projects. C&J works alongside customers to bridge the gap between their business and chosen ERP implementing partner.

The consulting firm’s heritage is with ERP systems like NetSuite and Sage, with hundreds of software implementation and optimisation projects completed.

What C&J is seeing more and more, are software implementations that go wrong or don’t get completed fully, because the client has insufficient resources on their team.

John explains: “It’s beneficial to have a project manager on the customer’s side during a software implementation project. Someone who can quickly fit in with the organisation, understand the organisation, can manage the customer’s expectations, plan resource/tasks in sequence with the software supplier and importantly, move things along to get the tasks completed. The benefit is that projects go much smoother and complete in shorter timescales. They are often overall much more successful.”

Without good project management, there can be scope creep beyond the core product.

What can go wrong without meticulous project management is that an organisation takes an out-of-the-box solution and tries to customise it to replicate their ‘as is’ processes. Rather than using it as a great opportunity to look at their own business processes and to improve them, utilising the solution purchased.

Some software projects can fail spectacularly, like the recent high profile Birmingham City Council ERP implementation. The Council decided to migrate from SAP to Oracle Fusion Cloud over the period of 2019-2023. Oracle was customised to meet the council’s existing business processes. Since the council started using the system, a major problem in cash management was discovered. The Oracle system had been adapted but it did not work, which then involved a team of 30 people to rectify it. The implementation costs rose from £20 million to close to £100 million overall and the Council were criticised for adapting rather than adopting the out-of-the-box Oracle product, leaving them unable to provide proper year end accounts.

Software projects can be long and unwieldy. “Software selection is a project in itself – in some organisations it can take months – we can help finance directors by removing the red tape and progress things in a methodical way.” John adds.

C&J’s team skills extend beyond ERP and can be used to project manage any software implementation. A current project involves providing a project management service for a HR and payroll software implementation at the University of Strathclyde.

“A project manager is a good resource to have on your side with great overall knowledge of implementations who’s done it hundreds of times before. They can ensure you benefit from the newest technology available and get it fully embedded in your organisation.”

Unusually, C&J’s PMAAS solution is charged by the hour rather than by the day – which is appealing for smaller companies who might only need a few hours at a time.

Enlisting the services of a partner like C&J can make software projects much less painful; “We know of organisations going into year 5 of an ERP implementation when it could have been done in 12 months or less with the right team.”

John Bell, COO explained.

Find out more about C&J ERP's software implementation project manager services.

About C&J ERP

C&J is an expert ERP consultancy specialising in delivering tailored solutions to enhance finance functions.

The team has amassed a huge amount of ERP systems implementation experience with hundreds of software projects completed in the last 15 years. Our ethos is to leverage the best technology combined with our change management capabilities, to streamline financial processes for optimal financial management.

Our NetSuite consultants provide uniquely customised implementations of NetSuite and we also optimise existing NetSuite systems, so that clients gain the maximum benefits possible.

Find out more about our C&J ERP Consulting.