Your project will have expert resources come and go but when the project is done you need to be able to run the ERP system. Data is the fuel for an ERP system and so its vital you develop and retain skills in this domain.
Data regularly appears on the Lesson Learned log and can often be seen as one of the main causes of issues when it comes to implementations. Rather than repeat what many of you already know regarding the importance of data in an ERP implementation, I'd like to focus on a specific enabler when it comes to data…..your people.
 Data Ownership and Stewardship in many large organisations are not really a new concept, but when it comes to implementation projects, often there are not enough data experts on hand to support a seamless migration. Organisations often turn to partner resources and tooling to solve the immediate challenges, which is certainly one way to jump the initial hurdle. The problem with this approach is that it does not leave you with lasting capability to handle data issues once the project has long gone. It can also prove quite costly over a long period of time. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely a place for data experts to be brought in, but they should not be the only solution. This is where investing in your own people could really pay off.
I would recommend either hiring or training resources that have a business process background to become your data experts of the future. This needs to be done early on so that they can get an handle on the data within legacy systems. When you then bring in data experts from your implementation partner there will be someone in your organisation who they can impart their knowledge to creating the expert of the future. Once the programme is long gone the knowledge is not lost. If these resources are not kept busy in enduring data roles they could also leverage this knowledge in other roles such as data architecture, reporting, integration etc.
I am a firm believer of investing in internal resources and this has to be right up there as one of the most important people investments you can make when embarking on an ERP implementation programme.
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