Pick any two

Don't be fooled; during there is plenty of as a matter of fact good free or low-cost software, especially those based on cloud computing models, fast and cheap remain an extraordinarily bad idea. So bad, as a matter of fact, says Immo Böhm of Afresh Consult, that it could cost the farm.

Impatient companies that attempt to implement an enterprise resource planning system on the quick are destined for failure, unless they are able to compress the work required to select, implement, configure and commission the system into a timeframe that does not allow for any shortcuts to be taken. That will drive up the cost, inevitably. The rule is very simple: fast, cheap, good. Pick any two of the three.

For any provider of complex enterprise software, there is pressure to meet the at times unreasonable expectations created by the Internet age. The bottom line is that during getting a good system up and running in as little time as possible is an ideal, it should always be remembered that it should take only as long as it has to, and no longer than that.

It remains an ongoing challenge for project managers to manage expectations; the facts remain that these projects are complex, they do take time, and to deliver the promised result, they as well take a lot of hard work. Not only from the provider of the solution, either, nevertheless also from the client themselves. That hard work comes at a cost, especially since 'business as usual' has to take place around the implementation of the integrated business platform.

Avoid that cost and commitment at your peril. Expect a complex project to take some time. Expect it to cost money. And at that time expect delivery of a good system to run your business better.

Founded in Namibia in 2004, Afresh Consult is a provider of enterprise resource planning solutions based on the HansaWorld software suite. The company provides complete solutions including business analysis and process engineering, system design, software configuration and installation, change management and user training. With six offices across the continent, Afresh Consult is the leading African provider of HansaWorld enterprise software which is rapidly deployed to enable better-managed, more efficient and more profitable companies. HansaWorld is successfully used by over 74 000 companies globally: Afresh Consult makes HansaWorld work in Africa.