Career Path
The following are the areas of work which a consultant can opt.
Consulting Services
Many
organizations did not have sufficient internal skills to implement an ERP
project. This resulted in many organizations offering consulting services for
ERP implementation. Typically, a consulting team was responsible for the entire
ERP implementation including planning, training, testing, implementation, and
delivery of any customized modules. Examples of customization includes
additional product training; creation of process triggers and workflow;
specialist advice to improve how the ERP is used in the business; system
optimization; and assistance writing reports, complex data extracts or
implementing Business Intelligence.
For most mid-sized companies, the cost of the implementation will range from around the list price of the ERP user licenses to up to twice this amount (depending on the level of customization required). Large companies, and especially those with multiple sites or countries, will often spend considerably more on the implementation than the cost of the user licenses -- three to five times more is not uncommon for a multi-site implementation.
Customization Services
Customization
Services involves any modifications or extensions that change how the
out-of-the-box ERP system works.
Customizing
an ERP package can be very expensive and complicated. Some ERP packages are not
designed to support customization, so most businesses implement the
best practices
embedded in the acquired ERP system. Some ERP packages have very generic
features, such that customization occurs in most implementations. It is also
often possible to extend the standard ERP package by purchasing
third party software
to provide additional functionality.
Customization
work is usually undertaken as bespoke software development on a time and
materials basis.
Customization
can be further classified into: Core system customization or custom extensions
in custom libraries.
Core
system customization is where customers change the software vendors'
proprietary code. This means that the software will no longer be supported by
the vendor for the particular function that was customized as the code would be
modified to the customers need. The customers IT department will then normally
support the code in-house or subcontract a consulting organization to do so.
Custom extensions are where a customer build bolt-on custom applications that run parallel to the standard system i.e. custom extended applications. Modules that are extended but core code not changed remain supported but the extensions will have to be supported by the customers IT department or subcontracted consulting organization.
Maintenance and Support Services
Maintenance and Support Services involves monitoring and managing an Operational ERP system. This function is often provided in-house using members of the IT department, but may also be provided by specialist external consulting and services companies.