Something I have discussed lately, is the idea of motion versus achievement. It's sort of double-edged sword in the services space. Where we have an abundance of business growth and prosperity by way of licensing sales but have a finite number of skilled services personnel who can deliver across the market as a whole. As a result, companies are spreading resources thinner and thinner to where clients, partners, and associates suffer. People end up overworked and disillusioned. Their attitudes begin to suffer, productivity drops, and eventually they burnout and quit or used as scapegoats for the failure of management to take control of the excess workload.
I suggest that instead of reactively attempting to be a catch all or everything to everyone that leadership stay the course, one client at time. Where you accomplish what you started to satisfaction of your clients, partners, and associates. ERP projects are challenging, but to call something a success, you must finish what you started. It's sort of like football where a receiver gets crushed when making a catch, but for whatever reason it seems to hurt less when they make the catch. ERP projects are arduous and sometimes even painful, but if you finish what you set out to achieve (one client at a time), the entire ecosystem wins. Remember, you are only as good as your last project. If you don't grasp this concept, eventually you won't have any projects to worry about, because there won't be any.
Develop a reputation as a team who finishes what you started. This sort of tenacity is a cultural attitude that permeates an organization and starts at the top. Make sure your team members understand that it's not about getting out the door like a thief in the night and calling that a success, because it's not. It's about doing everything possible to deliver on the ROI that was promised -- to where you go live and have a reference-able client. What a concept! Services companies and clients are better off pushing start dates and expectations than trying to accommodate unrealistic expectations, or filling slots with placeholders who do not have the experience necessary to be successful.
