Successfully implementing ERP: the IBM personal systems group experience

The Personal Systems Group, a division within IBM, successfully implemented SAP's R/3 enterprise information system in its largest manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The project, at the time the second largest SAP implementation in the world with respect to the number of users, was completed on-time and on-budget. This paper presents an inside look at this large-scale systems implementation: its motivation, the project structure, the complexity of project tasks, the project personnel and the project outcomes. The paper presents six factors that led IBM to a successful implementation: 1. top management commitment; 2. strong project management; 3. team member skills; 4. team member motivation and dedication; 5. effective communication with users; 6. an effectively planned and implemented change management strategy. Evidence of how these factors enabled the Personal Systems Group to successfully achieve the longer-term vision of streamlining their supply chain to increase productivity, cost savings, and customer satisfaction are also presented.