Insights

Kiran Patel

Head of ERP & Project Management
Bluefin Solutions

What makes a ‘true’ SAP Project Manager

Its always interesting to hear customer comments when allocating a PM resource to a project. They are typically along the lines of…

• “It’s only a small piece of work so it shouldn’t need a project manager”
• “We have someone available so it will be fine”
• “Not sure it really needs a full time role”

 The reality is that this role is integral to the success or failure of a project. I am sure the immediate thought here is, ‘well, yes I know that’, so here I aim to test that theory.
An experienced SAP Project Manager will,  amongst others,  add value in all of the following areas:

Aim to understand and to deliver the business benefits as defined in the business case...

...and not just aim to simply deliver a project. A programme of work should be geared at delivering outcomes not just outputs.

Question: Once a project has commences, how often have you reviewed whether you are still on course for achieving the business case on which the project was based?

Have detailed knowledge and experience of the appropriate methodology that needs to be adopted to deliver the project successfully 

Experience of enforcing the methodology and related controls is an art, since different projects will require some flexibility on approach. Knowing how to flex the methodology, whilst not creating further risk, is invaluable.

Question: What methodology do you adopt and what controls are in place to ensure controls are being followed? Can you be explicit on what has been adapted to fit the project and the risk mitigation around this?

Have a collaborative approach

This is essential to ensuring the project team and the business work together in achieving the project goals. Team work and communication skills are key here.

Question: Are all members of the project operating as a single team both in the forefront and in the background? What is the evidence to support this?

Risk management

I am picking on this control in particular because it’s the one that is most often neglected. Identifying and managing risks is more difficult than managing activities to complete a project!

Question: On existing projects do you just have a risks log in place, or have you assessed all the risks regularly and applied appropriate mitigating actions, and then reviewed theses regularly?

Appropriately manage budget

This is often broken out into many areas, but needless to say this includes:

• Organising and managing planned tasks to completion
• Planning, allocating and managing appropriate resources
• Management of scope and change control

Question: How many projects have completed within time and budget, and where scope change control has taken place has this been reviewed in relation to the original business case?

Provide insight

Insight into the way the project is really running and also “an eye on the bigger picture” to understand what short term and log term benefits the Business can leverage by taking some key decisions through the course of the project. As the project progresses, this may be based on having a better understanding of the business, changes in the business or technology changes.

Question: How often have you had “insight” brought to the table in the Steering Group meetings as opposed to the session being just a status review?

My aim here has not been to define the role of a Project Manager, that would take quite some time, but just highlight examples of the qualities you should expect in a good Project Manager.A good Project Manager is not a senior person that just happens to be available, but one that is experienced in the art of delivering successful projects!  A sound investment in recognising this will pay dividends throughout the project and more importantly during benefits realisation following project completion.

So having now tested the theory I am very interested in your thoughts! What are the challenges you have faced from a Project Management perspective?