Maximizing Return on Investment Using ERP Applications

THE TRUSTED ADVISER

The Program Governance Office, part of the governance program that must be established, provides a clearinghouse for issues as they arise and provides an individual or individuals with both the credibility and the responsibility to facilitate in these discussions. In previous discussions, the responsibility for staff functions was to work through issues that have an effect on executives privately, in small groups, or with top leadership. The intent is that these discussions are never allowed to result in public conflict, which is both embarrassing to the executives and inevitably leads to dysfunction in executive-staff relationships. Unfortunately, it is almost a certainty that at one or more points during the project, when a proposed solution by the project team is not readily accepted by the functional leadership, the conversation turns to “bad” culture, politics, or organization.

The fact is that there is a “correct” resolution to design issues for any organization, and it is the combination of logical design, organizational direction (leadership vision), and practical relationships between leaders that determines what the correct resolution should be. The governance and change management processes cannot be viewed as disrespectful of any of these interests. This is why the Program Governance Office must be led by a person, or persons, who have the trust of ESC members and who must be able to work through the issues diplomatically, in order to arrive at the ...