Key Points to look for a successful ERP implementation

Strong internal support team and Project Management

Well trained (both functional and technical) internal support team is very
instrumental in smooth transition from legacy system and it is very helpful in
mitigating cost.
It works as a bridge between the Organization and implementation vendor and also
keeps the effort/cost billed by the vendor in check.
Effective project management is critical for the successful ERP implementation.
Effective project management should define clear project objectives, develop a work
and resource plan, and carefully track the projects progress.

Change management
ERP implementation involves more than changing software or hardware systems.
Ideally, by reengineering business processes, ERP implementation can help an
organization to benefit from higher levels of efficiency and improved performance.
Therefore, ERP implementation may cause changes that lead to resistance among
employees. Consequently, balancing conflicts between staff and technology and
effectively managing employees in the change process are key elements for the
successful ERP implementation

Business Process Re-engineering and systems customization

Business process reengineering creates deep changes in organizational processes in
order to fit them to ERP functions. On the other hand, when an organization wishes
to maintain its existing processes using an ERP system, it can customize ERP
functions. However, ERP customization should be avoided or minimized in order to
achieve the full of benefits offered by ERP systems. It also reduces the cost of
implementation and support greatly.

End User Training

End user training is essential for a robust understanding of how the system works
and how to use it. Designating ERP champions from each department helps a lot in
this regard. They can also be first point of contact for hand holding of users.

Standard Process flow and documentation

Standard process flow for software implementation should be followed strictly. SDLC
steps e.g. User testing and confirmation should not be skipped and should be
enforced by the management also.
Proper documentation is very useful and necessary in any project. All issues should
be documented properly and should be placed in a central repository. It is very
helpful in planning and cost assessment as well as issue resolution. A ticket tracking
tool is very useful for this purpose and other means to report an issues should be
avoided.

Communication plan
Strong communication within the entire organization during the implementation
process increases success for ERP implementation. To bridge the communication
gap between the users and the implementation team in requirement gathering and
issue reporting and resolution ERP champions or designated department spocks can
be very useful specially for a huge user base like in PeopleSoft Campus solution.