In our business we are often asked if data from one system can be integrated to another. There’s almost a pull for people to say “If I can integrate it, I must”. That’s just not true. Let’s look at an example where integrating might cause a negative impact. Years ago I was asked if I could integrate project scheduling data with Outlook. “Look,” said the client who was an IT specialist, “Outlook task data…
Microsoft has published another of my articles, this one on Enterprise Systems Best Practices. This article looks at some of the key success/failure criteria to any enterprise system including, of course, EPM Systems. Those factors include: finding a business owner, knowing what problem the system is supposed to solve, making sure it’s part of your enterprise technical architecture and implementing change management.
We hear the salespitch almost continuously from large ERP/Finance system vendors. “It shoudl alllll be integrated.” That’s a story that sells easier than it implements. Sometimes it’s just easier and more effective to look integrated than to be integrated.
Should you integrate systems intimately together or create an interface between them and leave them to work more independently? Integrate or Interface?
Project Management systems are changing profoundly as the users evolve from highly specialized full-time schedulers to a much broader audience. Workflow combined with online forms technology will be at the heart of this change.
There seems to be some management desire for real time project management systems where management would be able to get a minute-by-minute account of what’s happening with projects. But is this practical in a project management environment?
In today’s world of instant gratification it is hard for some to understand the level of investment that must be made in order to reap the benefits available from an enterprise project management system. Some would prefer to follow the path of least resistance even if that means those benefits are not available.
I’ve been remiss in not talking about this before now but in October, Oracle announced that they had purchased Primavera. Primavera has been around since the early 80s and my firm, HMS has been a technology partner since the mid-90’s. The sale became final late in 2008 and now we’re starting to see some of the effects of the sale. Oracle has explained that Primavera will form one of the major wings of its strategic…
