Information Technology Challenges in ERP Duke University

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IT Challenges in ERP

• Chris Meyer
• Duke University

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Profile

• Durham, North Carolina
• 11,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional
  students and 1450 faculty
• 8 Schools AS, Engineering, Divinity, Business,
  Graduate, Environment, Law, Medicine and Nursing
• PeopleSoft Student Administration

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Chronology
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Staffing
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Project Organization

• Executive Sponsors Committee
• Steering Committee
• Coordinator Team
• Project Team
• Functional Team
• Technical Team
• Local Functional and Technical Team

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Technical Architecture

• Oracle 8i Database Servers
• Online Transactional Processing System and
  Decision Support
• PS Application Servers
• Web Servers
• Citrix Metaframe Server
• Novell File Server

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System Architecture

• PeopleSoft SA 7.6, Oracle 8i
• Citrix Metaframe
• Hahtsite for ACES Web
• AppWorx Process Scheduler
• Jetforms Central Server
• CollegeNet Resource 25
• BMC Patrol and IBM Tivoli
• DCE Kerberos Authentication

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Challenges
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Senior Administration

• Mandate university-wide use and acceptance
• Financial support
• Final cost was triple original estimate
• Hardware and consulting services
• Hold ERP vendor accountable for QA issues

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Project Management

• Internal versus External
• Avoid Scope Creep, use phased approach, e.g.,
  replace current functionality first
• Technical and functional coordination
• Over-budget to cover unanticipated costs, e.g.,
  ancillary software and postponed go-lives

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Staffing

• Recruit the best internal staff as full-time
  resources and backfill
• Staff motivation and retention
• provide incentives to reach milestones
• Implementation versus Operational

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Communications
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Communications

• Identify key stakeholders
• Steering Committee
• Deans, Directors and Business Managers
• Local Functional and Technical Leaders
• End-users
• Communicate with key stakeholders early and
  often, as appropriate

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Technical Architecture

• Sizing
• Lease versus Buy
• Standardize on fewer technologies
• Client Server Infrastructure
• System monitoring

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Training

• Technical - ERP Vendor
• Functional - ERP Vendor
• End-user
• Insource versus Outsource
• Timeliness

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Implementation

• Software stability
• Consolidate and apply upgrades, updates and fixes
  at least quarterly
• Avoid customizations!
• Requests are functionally driven
• Review and approval process
• Modify business, not the system

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Implementation

• Regression and performance testing
• Implement generic extracts and eliminate shadow
  systems
• Web-enable to hide system complexity
• Decision support/reporting strategy

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Implementation

• Multiple database instances
• Big bang versus Phased approach
• Professional consulting
• Burst or Cafeteria-style
• ERP vendor services preferred
• Use recruiting firms

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Implementation

• ERP Account Representative
• Users must accept system ownership
• Enabling new technologies, e.g., workflow, OLAP,
  and web
• Measuring and leveraging ROI
• Establishing success measures

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Operational

• Functional and technical support
• Adhere to IT Best Practices
• Change Management
• Testing
• Cross-training
• Outsourcing tedious, mundane tasks, e.g.,
  upgrades?
• Performance tuning

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Future

• Decision Support
• OLAP
• Portal Strategy
• Upgrade to PeopleSoft SA 8.x

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Questions and Discussion