ERP Implementation Manager
When a business is upgrading, installing, operating, testing or changing its enterprise resource planning software, it’s vital that the whole process is managed from a centralised position to ensure the implementation goes smoothly, is project managed and has the full understanding of the affected parties. The ERP implementation manager (often called an ERP implementation lead) is in charge of overseeing the process, hiring the relevant technical and training resources, and monitoring it once it’s up and running.
Since such systems are inevitably complex, especially over large national or multinational operations, there will be a good deal of delegation of tasks to experts in their specific fields, and reporting problems, progress and results to the senior management in the organisation. The role usually effectively becomes a project management task, although that doesn’t mean that specific project managers can’t be brought in to plan the hour-to-hour implementation milestones – as manager, you’ll just have overall responsibility for the delivery of the implementation to the standard expected from your employer.
The skills required
Most importantly, you’ll need to know ERPs inside out – their capabilities, limitations and differences – and you’ll often find yourself explaining these qualities to those above and below you in the hierarchy. Since there are dozens of providers, from household names like Sage, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP right down to bespoke solutions designed for specific organisations, ERP implementation manager candidates with a wide range of experience are often sought, especially if the company is switching from one system to another.
As with all management roles, communication is key. Here, you’ll be dealing with some very technical understanding of the system, but you’ll also need to get under the skin of the company and its procurement and purchasing structures to fully understand how best to implement their solution. This potentially complex information needs to be absorbed and relayed from and to a diverse range of staff and and management in clear, understandable language.
ERP Implementation Manager Jobs in Woking
Woking is a town in London’s commuter belt, about 21 miles (34 km) from the centre of the capital. It is a prosperous town with a population of about 60,000 in the town itself, but its borough as a whole is home to around 100,000. The Kenwood electronics company was founded in the town by, you guessed it, Ken Wood.
The town has international fame thanks to motor sport. It has been home to McLaren racing since the 1980s after moving from Colnbrook near Heathrow Airport. The racing division of McLaren has a fantastic facility for building its Formula One racing cars in the town, and they have recently opened a state-of-the-art factory for building their road cars, one of which wouldn’t leave you much change out of £200,000. Both factories are notable by their cleanliness, which makes the average operating theatre or satellite laboratory look a little grubby.
Woking is well served by road, rail and air, and its hi-tech industries mean that expertise in many fields is often sought. For our part, ERP Implementation Manager vacancies have been filled of late, and development seems to be continuing apace.
There are a couple of notable references to Woking in popular culture. In HG Wells’s The War of the Worlds, it is Horsell Common, just north of the town, where the aliens first land, and the town has a 7m high tripod statue in honour of this distinction. Wells wrote the story whilst staying in Woking. It was also the birthplace of The Jam’s Paul Weller, and was the inspiration for their hit single A Town Called Malice. Comedians Sean Lock and Harry Hill and TV cook Delia Smith were also born here.
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ERP implementation manager roles at Cast UK
When implementing or upgrading an ERP solution across a company, nothing can be left to chance – the solution has to work from day one, with staff trained, the technical support and maintenance teams in place and the solution itself firing on all cylinders. Companies need to find the right person to manage this.
If you’re trying to find the perfect ERP implementation lead for your business, you’ve come to the right place. Cast UK has an enviable supply of talent in procurement and purchasing who are looking to fill your vacancy. Call 0333 121 3345 to get the ball rolling.
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