HEC006

Volume 4
Issue 1
March 2006

t
os
An ERP Story: 1 Background (A) 2, 3

rP
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER 4 and Vital ROY, 5 as well as Eric BRUNELLE 6

Business Context

yo
In 1950, when the general insurance company Aux Bons Soins (ABS) was in its early days, it
offered a full range of general insurance products for individuals residing in the province of
Quebec. Over the years, Canada has seen a consolidation of its general insurance industry. Three
years ago, ABS acquired the insurance company General Maritime Protection, serving Eastern
Canada. Last year, ABS seized an opportunity to conquer Western Canada’s market by acquiring
Western General Insurance in Calgary. These acquisitions positioned ABS as a major pan-
op
Canadian insurer. To date, these three companies have continued to function autonomously.

Six months ago, management at ABS announced that it was bringing these three original companies
under a single legal entity to form ABS Canada. Jean Roberge was appointed Vice-President of
Information Technologies Management and was mandated to develop a strategic IT plan. During
the annual strategic planning meeting of the management committee, held recently in Calgary, all
tC

of the committee members were pleased to see that the company and its two subsidiaries were in a
good position to plan an aggressive strategy for sales growth. This is the context in which Jean
Roberge recently presented a three-year strategic plan for the development of information systems
and technologies.

The plan, developed by a team of internal collaborators from the three original companies with the
support of consultants, was officially presented and approved at the annual management meeting
No

held in Calgary in March 2009. The main recommendation of the plan is to provide ABS Canada
with an integrated management system and processes that could be shared by the three constituent
entities for financial management, human resource management as well as sales and marketing

1 This case was produced with the support of the Programme de parrainage professoral CGI and the Fonds de développement
pédagogique HEC. The authors would like to thank the evaluators for their valuable comments.
2 Translation from French of “Histoire d’ERP : le contexte (A),” case deposited under number 9 65 2006 005A.
Do

3 This project was made possible thanks to funding from the CGI Professorship.
4 Carmen Bernier is an Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
5 Vital Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
6 We wish to thank Jean-François Jutras for his collaboration in the writing and layout of the text.
© HEC Montréal 2010
All rights reserved for all countries. Any translation or alteration in any form whatsoever is prohibited.
The International Journal of Case Studies in Management is published on-line (www.hec.ca/revuedecas/en), ISSN 1911-2599.
This case is intended to be used as the framework for an educational discussion and does not imply any judgement on the
administrative situation presented. Deposited under number 9 65 2006 005AT with the HEC Montréal Case Centre, 3000, chemin
de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal (Québec) H3T 2A7 Canada.
This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Background (A)

t
management. In particular, the team of experts that worked on the IT plan recommend the
acquisition of the ABC software package – specifically, the modules for finance and accounting,

os
human resources and sales.

Current Systems and Processes

Since the reorganization of the three original companies under the new company ABS Canada,

rP
each company has continued to operate with its own information processes and systems. Gradually,
the controllers and vice-presidents of finance of each entity began to consider how they could
consolidate the accounting aspects and financial statements of ABS Canada. Similarly, the vice-
presidents of human resources met several times to begin harmonizing human resource
management policies and practices. Currently, a great deal of manual work is required to extract
information from the systems of the various companies and to prepare consolidated management
reports that provide an accurate picture of the financial and human resources of the new ABS entity.

yo
As for sales and marketing, efforts to consolidate data have proved very difficult due to the diversity
and quantity of information available in the respective systems of the three original companies.

The development of a strategic IT plan led to an analysis of the current situation and a discussion
of the desired situation for the new ABS Canada entity. In terms of information systems, the
following observations were made:
op
Element Current problem Desired situation
Applications  Incompatible in terms of  Identical functionalities for all
functionality and architecture: no ABS components and integrated
possibility of data exchange applications that enable data
tC

between systems; exchange;

 Redundant applications and non-  Simplification of system
optimal maintenance of various maintenance and architecture in
systems based on different order to group original IT
technologies. functions into a single IT function
and achieve better management
of costs, expertise and use of IT
No

potential.
Data The definition of data differs Consistent and accessible in real
according to the original company (for time.
example, the customer identification
data retained is not the same in all of
the systems).
Interfaces Differ according to the application and Similar for all applications,
Do

the original company. facilitating employee mobility.

Copyright © HEC Montréal 2

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Background (A)

t
In terms of business processes, the following observations were made:

os
Element Current problem Desired situation
Accounting Processes are specific to the Harmonization of accounting and
and financial operations of the three original financial processes:
processes companies.  standardized end-of-period

rP
processing;
 accelerated processing cycles by
eliminating duplication and
manual verification;
 consolidation of the three
companies into one in accordance

yo
with provincial and Canadian
regulatory requirements;
 reports for tactical and strategic
financial management rather than
purely operational.
Human Processes are specific to the Harmonization of HR management
op
resource operations of the three original processes:
management companies. Moreover, the two  redefining the human resources
processes acquired companies’ processes are management approach of the new
inefficient due to their obsolescence ABS entity;
and strictly operational style. The
 adding activities such as skill
strategic vision of HR management
tC

as a company asset is not part of the management, skill development

current processes, which make little and mobility;
use of IT potential.  improving process efficiency.

Sales and Processes are specific to the Harmonization of HR management

marketing operations of the three original processes involving:
management companies and correspond to a local
No

 creating an integrated marketing

processes vision of the market. vision for the new ABS entity;
 improving process efficiency by
increased use of Web potential.

The Decision to Launch the IMSP Project

In the conclusion to his presentation of the IT strategic plan to the management committee, Jean
Do

Roberge stressed the unique potential of an integrated management system for the development of
ABS Canada. He pointed out that managers at all levels as well as senior management could track
in real time the financial and marketing progress of the growth plan for the entire company, from
both a cost and profit perspective. Moreover, this system enables proactive decision-making that
takes into account the company’s global financial picture as well as its human resource potential,
which are key to the success of any service-oriented company.

Copyright © HEC Montréal 3

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Background (A)

t
Therefore, decision-makers can and must concentrate on the more lucrative activities or those that

os
are the most important strategically in terms of short- and medium-term growth. Lastly, a shared
management system for marketing initiatives and financial and human resources will enable the
implementation of a more efficient mode of operation by promoting better use of expertise
throughout the company. The forecasted financial benefits of the project are reduced operating
costs in the order of 10%, which could be achieved at the end of the second year following

rP
implementation of the new system. The total cost of the project is evaluated at $50 million spread
out over the duration of the project, estimated at 24 months. A vanilla implementation strategy is
planned, which means minimum changes to the software package (if possible, no changes at all)
and standardization of the processes of the new ABS entity, based on the processes inspired by best
practices and proposed by ABC. Moreover, the system would be delivered in three phases:
12 months for the finance, accounting and auditing module; 18 months for the human resource
module; and 24 months for the sales and distribution module.

yo
On the basis of these advantages and this vision of IT aligned with business objectives, the
management committee that met in Calgary unanimously approved the recommendation to launch
the Integrated Management System and Processes (IMSP) project.

Back in Montréal, Jean Roberge is very pleased with the support of the management committee.
op
From his perspective, the potential of an integrated software package will pave the way for the true
integration of the information systems and technologies at ABS Canada. This will make it easier
for him to re-engineer the main management systems (finance/accounting, human resources,
marketing) of the three companies, while preserving specific applications that give the company a
clear competitive edge. In fact, interfaces can be developed between ABC’s modules and the
company’s legacy systems that the company wishes to preserve. Moreover, this technological
tC

renewal includes a systematic review of various disparate, and sometimes obsolete, processes, in
favour of better business practices. This exercise should lead to real progress in the company’s
practices, both in terms of its business practices and skills. This will help ABS to maximize its IT
potential so that it can do business throughout Canada and North America.

With the adoption of a new integrated software package, Jean Roberge is aware that the IT function
he is managing is profoundly changing his role, from the development of applications to the flexible
No

and rapid delivery of technological software solutions. The IT professionals at ABS are concerned
about the change in direction of the IT department. Jean Roberge believes that these changes in the
nature of the IT function will present several new challenges. Already hard at work in his new
functions, he knows that he cannot manage the ERP project single-handedly despite its importance
for the company. He must quickly find a project leader who has the skills and experience to lead
such an important project.
Do

The Search for a Project Manager

Jean Roberge understands the enormous importance of ABS Canada’s first major IT project. Its
success is crucial in order to establish his credibility as a manager and in his new IT function.
Selecting a project leader is therefore extremely important. For Mr. Roberge, the ideal candidate
for this position should master the ABC software package and have excellent knowledge of the

Copyright © HEC Montréal 4

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Background (A)

t
systems being replaced and their functionalities. This candidate should also be able to exercise his
or her authority over the project team and have enough experience managing large-scale projects

os
to stay within the budgets and schedules set out by management.

Aware that the company does not have all the skills needed to take up the challenges that lie ahead,
Mr. Roberge has asked François Caron, from the firm GTI, a preferred supplier of ABS for
10 years, to meet with him. Mr. Caron is a seasoned consultant who has been the technical expert,

rP
analyst and project leader on several development and implementation projects of financial and
insurance systems over the last 20 years. He is currently the vice-president of business development
at GTI and has been in charge of the ABS Canada account for six years. He regularly meets with
the IT manager of ABS to discuss the company’s changing needs as well as IT trends in the
insurance industry. He asks Luc Martin, an expert in the delivery of ABC solutions, to join him for
the meeting with Jean Roberge.

yo
The following afternoon, Jean Roberge presents the new IT direction of ABS Canada to François
Caron and Luc Martin. He discusses in more detail the urgent need to find a suitable project leader
for this major IMSP project. Jean Roberge believes that the IT function should assume ownership
of the project, since the proper technical functioning of this complex software package will ensure
its success. Moreover, he expects that the software package will be implemented within the set
timeframe and budget. With regard to employee adaptation to the new system, he is confident that
op
an effective and well-targeted training plan will allow employees to quickly understand the system
and resume their productivity.
This is not the first time the company is introducing a new information system. Employees expect to
have to change the way they do their work since the three companies are being merged into one.
However, the main change will be a new software package that users will have to learn.
tC

In terms of project management, Jean Roberge stresses the fact that management expects
compliance with the set budget and schedule. He hopes that the project leader will prioritize the
quality of the product and effective management of its development. Since the project team should,
in his opinion, be comprised primarily of IT specialists, a homogeneous team like this will require
a project leader with extensive technical knowledge. Moreover, if the project is to stay on schedule,
Jean Roberge considers it crucial that the project leader exercise firm authority in order to quickly
resolve any conflict between the parties involved in the project. Lastly, Mr. Roberge plans to lend
No

strong support to this project as he has always done for other IT projects, well aware that proper
follow-up and a lot of technical support will be needed to ensure the project’s success.

He asks François Caron to recommend three qualified candidates for the management of the IMSP
project.

The next day, François Caron and Luc Martin meet to discuss their meeting with Jean Roberge.
They discuss his expectations and examine the following points:
Do

Questions:

1. What are the project’s main characteristics and challenges identified by Jean Roberge?

Copyright © HEC Montréal 5

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Background (A)

t
2. In your opinion, does the project have other characteristics or challenges that Jean Roberge did
not identify that should also be taken into account?

os
rP
yo
op
tC
No
Do

2010-06-14

Copyright © HEC Montréal 6

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 HEC007
Volume 4
Issue 1
March 2006

t
os
An ERP Story: 1 Choosing a Project Leader (B) 2, 3

rP
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER 4 and Vital ROY, 5 as well as Eric BRUNELLE 6

Choosing a Project Leader

yo
A few days later, François Caron, the account manager in charge of the relationship with the client,
and Luc Martin, in charge of supervising the delivery of the mandate to the client, meet again with
Mr. Roberge to propose, as planned, the candidacy of three project leaders capable of fulfilling his
expectations and needs. Before submitting the candidates’ curriculum vitaes to Mr. Roberge, the
consultants discuss the specific context of the project at ABS Canada, as part of a brief presentation
they have prepared.
op
Jean Roberge is impressed by the presentation. But, judging from his comments and questions, he
is still very concerned about finding a project leader with solid expertise and in-depth knowledge
of the ABC software package.
tC

Although he is a little surprised by some of the ideas put forth in the consultants’ presentation, Jean
Roberge is pleased to see that several projects similar in nature and scope to the one planned at
ABS Canada have been successfully implemented in other businesses with the support of the
consulting firm, as proven by the candidates’ portfolios and their firm’s previous achievements in
the area of deployment of ABC solutions.

After the meeting, Jean Roberge carefully reads each of the three curriculum vitaes and reviews
No

the strong points of the presentation and the discussion with the consultants. Who should he
choose?

1 This case was produced with the support of the Programme de parrainage professoral CGI and the Fonds de développement
pédagogique HEC. The authors would like to thank the evaluators for their valuable comments.
2 Translation from French of “Histoire d’ERP : le choix du chef de projet (B),” case deposited under number 9 65 2006 005B.
Do

3 This project was made possible thanks to funding from the CGI Professorship.
4 Carmen Bernier is an Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
5 Vital Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
6 We wish to thank Jean-François Jutras for his collaboration in the writing and layout of the text.
© HEC Montréal 2010
All rights reserved for all countries. Any translation or alteration in any form whatsoever is prohibited.
The International Journal of Case Studies in Management is published on-line (www.hec.ca/revuedecas/en), ISSN 1911-2599.
This case is intended to be used as the framework for an educational discussion and does not imply any judgement on the
administrative situation presented. Deposited under number 9 65 2006 005BT with the HEC Montréal Case Centre, 3000, chemin
de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal (Québec) H3T 2A7 Canada.
This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Question:

t
os
1. In your opinion, what should be the key points in the consultants’ presentation to Jean Roberge?

2. Jean Roberge has asked you to help him review each of the three curriculum vitaes in the
appendices and to formulate your recommendations in accordance with the needs of ABS
Canada. Of course, you must justify your response, while taking into account Mr. Roberge’s

rP
point of view, which he expresses as follows:
I had imagined the role of project leader as centred more on technological solutions. In my
experience, technical people are rarely interested in the soft organizational dimensions of IT
projects. I don’t think organizational questions should be too problematic given ABS Canada’s
extensive experience in systems implementation. Our main challenge is that we are not very familiar
with the ABC software package and we need to act fast.

yo
We strongly suggest that you prepare an appendix to your presentation containing a list of questions
that you would like to ask the candidates in the event that Mr. Roberge decides to meet with them.
op
tC
No
Do

2010-06-14

Copyright © HEC Montréal 2

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 1

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate A for the Position of Project Leader

os
Career profile

Mr. A has over 12 years experience working for large service and R&D companies in the private
and public sectors in various fields including IT, operations, quality assurance, continuous process

rP
improvement and labour relations in the private and parapublic sectors. Over the last eight years,
he participated in several ABC development and implementation projects as a project manager.
His key skills are project management, procurement, change management, business process re-
engineering, process re-engineering, knowledge management, IT project management office and
business development.

yo
Types of intervention

 Management consulting  Project management

 Process analysis  Systems integration
 Needs analysis  Contingency and succession planning
 Organizational impact assessment  Systems conversion and interface
 Strategic planning  IT operations
op
 Technical change management  Auditing

Skills

Business sector: Media, aerospace, government services

Equipment and environments: Windows 2000, Windows NT
tC

Database: Oracle
Tools: MS Office 2000 Suite, Visio, FrontPage, Lotus Notes,
Outlook, Internet Explorer, Netscape
Methodologies: SHL Transform, CGEY e-Speed
Software packages and solutions: ABC
No

Education

1990 Bachelor’s in business computing Université de Sherbrooke

Upgrading

2001 ABC IMPLEMENTATION CBT, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young

Do

2000 ABC CertificationCC ABC Academy (Boston)

1999 Various project management courses SHL, EDS and CGEY
1998 ABC START ABC Canada (Montreal)

Copyright © HEC Montréal 3

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 1

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate A for the Position of Project Leader (cont’d)

os
Mr. A is the project manager for the implementation of ABC (FI, CO, SD, MM, PM) and is responsible for all
deliverables and all of the activities carried out by a 24-member team during various phases, including project
preparation and planning, overall design, execution, final preparation and deployment. Implementation was carried
out in ASP (application service provider) mode. In addition to overseeing medical-administrative processes, he is

rP
also in charge of change management deliverables and the training of end users. To date, the client has been very
satisfied with his services.

Environment: ABC, Windows Novel, Oracle, MS Office 1998, Explorer

yo
Large service enterprise
He was the project manager for the implementation of ABC (FI, CO, PA, MM, SM, SD, PS and HR) and was
responsible for all deliverables and all of the activities carried out by a 23-member team during the project
preparation and planning stages as well as overall design. He shared these responsibilities with the client’s project
manager. He was also responsible for managing a $4.5 million budget. According to the client, the project, which
involved 400 users and required the re-engineering of several business processes, complex interfaces and
conversions, progressed very well. At the end of the overall design, the client decided to delay the project and
op
prioritize the implementation of the ABC Human Resources and Payroll project. This project will be necessary once
the ABC project has been completed, sometime around September 1, 2002.

Environment: ABC, Windows NT, Oracle, Remedy, MS Office 2000 Suite, Netscape
tC

Large media enterprise

As project manager, he oversaw the review of strategy, roles and responsibilities of the ABC support department.
His recommendations were designed to improve user services, ABC user rates and the return on investment.

Environment: ABC (FI-CO, MM, PS, BW modules), Windows NT, Oracle, Remedy, MS Office
2000 Suite, Outlook
No
Do

Copyright © HEC Montréal 4

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 2

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate B for the Position of Project Leader

os
Career profile

Mr. B is a senior consultant in project management with close to nine years experience in
information technologies and a master’s degree in operations and decision systems. His career

rP
consists of managing large-scale development projects. His profile, firmly rooted in respect for
objectives, effective management of client relations and teamwork, has brought success to all of
the projects he has led, the appreciation of his clients and the respect of his peers. He has
successfully led and recovered a number of projects in various industries, including food
distribution, finance, insurance, pulp and paper, energy and government. During the course of his
mandates, he has developed and acquired the following strengths: planning and organization,

yo
budget maintenance and justification, client follow-up and project leadership.

Types of intervention

 Project management  Project control and recovery

 Functional architecture  Technical consulting
op
Skills

Business sectors: Food distribution, financial services, pulp and paper,

government, electricity and insurance

Equipment and environments: AS400, Windows 95/NT, VAX/VMS – Alpha, CICS,

tC

NOS, MVS, VSAM, JCL, UNIX, Cyber, IBM,

TSO/ISPF, IDD, DMLO, OS/2, Unisys 80, TIP 30,
HP-3000, AMDAHL
Languages: AB+, COBOL II et 85, PL1, Fortran, C, C++, Visual
Basic, Speedware, Excelerator, Image, Pascal
Databases: DB2, MS Access, Sybase, Open Ingres, IDMS/DB, Total,
SGBD Turbo-Image, dBASE III+ and IV
No

ERP integrated systems: ABC, Cincom

Tools: Lotus Notes, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Stairs, SDFII,
Playback, File-AID, Panvalet, Clist, Debug, Intertest,
Librairian, TQL, GALO, Samna, Lotus 123
Methodologies: Concert, SILVERRUN-DFD and MCD

Education
Do

1989 Master’s in IT management sciences HEC Montréal

1987 Bachelor’s in computer science Université Laval

Copyright © HEC Montréal 5

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 2

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate B for the Position of Project Leader (cont’d)

os
Upgrading

2002 ABC Implementations

2002 ABC – Tools in Detail

rP
2002 ABC Business Integration Seminar (Certified)

Relevant recent professional experience

Large service enterprise

Management of an integration project for administrative services involving corporate services and three business

yo
units. The project’s aim was to offer the same range of services and the same level of service in order to procure
efficiency and financial gains, while respecting the needs and specificity of the internal clientele.

 Implement efficient and proven project mechanisms.

 Lead a team composed of a dozen experts and six partners.
 Implement a project methodology in a particular context of administrative services.
 Assist the project manager in decision-making.
op
 Plan, coordinate and control the project.
 Participate in the development of deliverables.
 Carry out quality assurance of documents.

Environment: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS-Project, Project Workbench

tC

Large telecommunications enterprise

Recovery management of the project to replace the enterprise’s 12 legacy systems with the ABC integrated solution
in ASP mode. The modules implemented by the ITM team are: HR, PAYROLL, CS, SD, MM, F1 and CO. The Big
Bang implementation approach was used.

 Replace the client’s internal project leader 12 months before deployment (total duration of the project
No

estimated at 24 months).
 Lead the development team (AB+ configuration and programs) composed of some 30 people.
 Create an efficient work environment within the project team.
 Plan and monitor application start-up within the prescribed timeframe.
 Environment: ABC, DB2, Windows, MS Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS-Project.
Do

Copyright © HEC Montréal 6

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 2

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate B for the Position of Project Leader (cont’d)

os
Large food services enterprise

rP
In the context of this project, the enterprise began implementing the ABC software package for the grocery sector.
The ITM mandate was to carry out analysis, programming, functional tests, support to integrated testing and post-
implementation support for the development and reports for the grocery sector. Development represented an effort
of close to 2,800 person days over six months by a 28-member team.

 Build a highly-skilled team of 28 ABC analysts and AB+ programmers.

 Plan within the limited timeframe of the project.
 Lead the team for analysis, programming, testing and post-implementation support.

yo
 Deliver the project on time.
 Ensure high-quality deliverables.
Environment: ABC, AB+, AS400, DB2, Windows 95, Lotus Notes, MS Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Aerospace enterprise
op
Lead two outsourcing teams comprised of some 15 people working to complete the final tasks before the year 2000.

 Quickly plan the final year 2000 activities of the two ITMP outsourcing teams.
 Prepare the transition plan composed of over 30 activities.
 Finalize the contingency procedures in case of problems.
 Develop and implement an effective communication plan.
tC

Environment: VAX/VMS, Windows NT, ERP CINCOM.

No
Do

Copyright © HEC Montréal 7

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 3

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate C for the Position of Project Leader

os
Career profile

Ms C has a bachelor’s degree in administrative sciences, accounting option. Upon completing her
studies, she joined the accounting firm Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche. She has been a member

rP
of the Quebec Order of Chartered Accountants since 1990. As an auditor, she has worked in various
sectors, including health, banking and pharmaceuticals. She then turned to private enterprise for
her work as a controller. In charge of all accounting operations, she was also responsible for special
projects, such as the implementation of an inventory module. Over the last eight years, she
developed in-depth expertise in process analysis and ERP implementation. In addition, she has
completed several ABC software implementation projects, which allowed her to develop her

yo
methodological approach, her management skills, her extensive knowledge of Oracle applications,
particularly the General Ledger, Purchasing, Inventory and Order Entry modules, as well as
Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Project Management and the eBusiness suite (iStore,
iPayment, iMarketing, Marketing Online and Sales Online). Lastly, she has on several occasions
carried out the analysis and definition of business processes, analysis and implementation of charts
of accounts and items, as well as project management, including development and monitoring of
the implementation calendar, tracking work progress, resolving issues, managing change requests,
op
assisting and coaching the client’s project leader as well as the implementation team.

Types of intervention

 Project management  Information systems integration

  Systems migration
tC

Team management
 Process analysis  Product selection
 Strategy and test preparation

Skills

Business sectors: Procurement, accounting, distribution, inventory

No

management, municipalities, telecommunications

Languages: SQL
Methodologies: Ascendant (PwC)
Software packages and solutions: ABC (General Ledger, Order Entry, Inventory,
Purchasing)
Do

Copyright © HEC Montréal 8

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 3

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate C for the Position of Project Leader (cont’d)

os
Education

1990 Member of the Quebec Order of Chartered

rP
Accountants
1988 Bachelor’s in administrative sciences, HEC Montréal
accounting option

Upgrading

2000 Organizational Analysis and Design (OAD), Montreal

yo
1998 ABCFAST, Montreal
1998 Reengineering: The Leadership Perspective (Michael Hammer), Boston
1998 Transforming the Supply Chain: Integrating to Serve the Final Customer (Michael Hammer), Boston
1998 Succeeding with ABC (Boston Academy)

Relevant recent professional experience

op
Telecommunications Inc.

The main objective of the project to review the company’s chart of accounts was to create a shared global chart of
accounts for the company’s 40 units. The second objective was to standardize the chart of accounts in order to ensure
conformity of their respective charts (known as mapping), the concept of parent/child and the presentation of
tC

financial statements. As project manager, Ms C’s responsibilities were to:

 develop and monitor the work plan;

 document needs related to accounting and financial reports, determine the strengths and weaknesses of the
current chart of accounts, review each segment of the chart of accounts and document its use, review the parent
structure of the “natural account” segment;
 recommend a new structure to respond to all needs and evaluate the impact of this recommendation on the
No

various external systems;

 produce a user guide, in collaboration with Teleglobe, including definitions for each of the natural accounts;
 develop conversion and implementation strategies for the revised chart of accounts;
 coordinate and participate in the analysis, design and construction of financial reports and participate in related
unit tests;
 coordinate and participate in the production of a new chart of accounts and provide support for the first end-of-
month.
Do

Copyright © HEC Montréal 9

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Choosing a Project Leader (B)

Appendix 3

t
Curriculum Vitae of Candidate C for the Position of Project Leader (cont’d)

os
Telebroadcast Inc.

As project manager, Ms C coached the company in its invitation to tender for the selection of a new accounting
system and performed the following tasks, among others:

rP
 assisted in writing the invitation to tender for the selection of an information system, including preparing the
list of needs, presentation of the client, etc.;
 analyzed the bids of the suppliers in order to proceed with an initial preselection;
 attended, along with the resources of Telefilm Canada, the demonstration of the applications of the suppliers
retained;

yo
 prepared and presented the recommendation for the choice of a supplier;
 submitted an implementation calendar for the chosen solution;
 supported all communications with the suppliers;
 coordinated the work team as well as developed and managed the work schedule and work progress.

She served as the project leader of the ABC General Ledger module during the implementation of four modules
(General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchasing and Accounts Receivable). Within the framework of this project,
op
deployment was carried out in five countries in North America and Europe. Her main responsibilities with regard to
the General Ledger module were to:
 analyze current processes;
 analyze mismatches between the processes and functions of the Oracle General Ledger application;
 establish the parameters of the application;
 analyze and make recommendations regarding the structure of the new global chart of accounts;
tC

 define a multiorganizational environment;

 analyze discrepancies between standard Oracle reports and targeted needs;
 prepare and present prototypes (CRP);
 define the test strategy and prepare integrated test plans.
Environment: ABC
Parapublic service centres
No

Evaluate the feasibility of an integrated customer management system designed to improve the quality of services
offered, optimize business processes and maintain a single customer file with clinical and administrative data that is
intact, relevant and easily accessible by all players. Develop a change management strategy based on the
organization’s capacity for change.
Large accounting service company

Coordinate the development of a three-year master plan for the information technologies department:
Do

 diagnosis and inventory of technological needs related to the strategic plan;

 development of technological orientations;
 draft of target architectures.

Copyright © HEC Montréal 10

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 HEC008
Volume 4
Issue 1
March 2006

t
os
An ERP Story: 1 Troubles Ahead (C) 2, 3

rP
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER 4 and Vital ROY, 5 as well as Eric BRUNELLE 6

Troubles Ahead

yo
After choosing the candidate with the most experience with the ABC software package, the
Integrated Management System and Processes (IMSP) project at ABS Canada is launched. Within
weeks, however, unexpected difficulties gradually begin to arise. The project manager’s first action
is to establish an action plan with the IT department based on specific deliverables. But this plan
immediately creates controversy because several members from functional departments,
particularly finance and accounting, feel excluded from the outset. As a representative from the
op
finance department explains:
I know that this project is very important for the company, but I am convinced that ABS will lose out
in the end if we insist on delivering a product that doesn’t address our main problem, which is finding
better ways of working.
tC

Later on, the project manager bluntly informs users that their business processes will soon be turned
upside down to allow the company to adapt to the system. A representative of the users involved
in the project has this complaint:
The only thing that matters to him is that we respect delivery times. He doesn’t take into account
personal considerations. Regardless of whether or not the needs of users are being met optimally, the
project manager insists on focusing on the technical implementation of ABC.
No

Several of the managers responsible for functions affected by the project feel that the project
manager is focusing his efforts on ensuring that the tasks of the project plan are executed as quickly
as possible, without showing any real concern for business processes. Moreover, team members do

1 This case was produced with the support of the Programme de parrainage professoral CGI and the Fonds de développement
pédagogique HEC. The authors would like to thank the evaluators for their valuable comments.
2 Translation from French of “Histoire d’ERP : difficultés à l’horizon (C),” case deposited under number 9 65 2006 005C.
Do

3 This project was made possible thanks to funding from the CGI Professorship.
4 Carmen Bernier is an Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
5 Vital Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
6 We wish to thank Jean-François Jutras for his collaboration in the writing and layout of the text.
© HEC Montréal 2010
All rights reserved for all countries. Any translation or alteration in any form whatsoever is prohibited.
The International Journal of Case Studies in Management is published on-line (www.hec.ca/revuedecas/en), ISSN 1911-2599.
This case is intended to be used as the framework for an educational discussion and does not imply any judgement on the
administrative situation presented. Deposited under number 9 65 2006 005CT with the HEC Montréal Case Centre, 3000, chemin
de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal (Québec) H3T 2A7 Canada.
This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Troubles Ahead (C)

not appreciate the project management style. “I’m discouraged and I feel paralyzed in my work

t
because I am constantly writing progress reports,” explains one member of the team. After three

os
months, the managers responsible for the functions affected by the project confirm that the project
manager has gotten swept up in political games that have prompted him to favour ABS’s IT group.

These managers are beginning to think that ABC may be the wrong choice since it does not meet
their needs and the credibility of the IT department is being put to the test, including Mr. Roberge.

rP
Despite this, the ABC experts have reiterated their message to function managers and management
that the many R/3 configuration options in addition to changes in the company’s processes can
have a significant impact on t he evolution of business practices and efficiency at ABS. A
confrontation between the user groups and the IT function seems inevitable.

Mr. Roberge knows full well that this situation is jeopardizing the project. He also thinks that the
current project leader is not effectively managing the various dimensions of the project. Faced with

yo
this situation, he is feeling a great deal of pressure from management at ABS. He decides to take
the weekend to evaluate the situation and decide on the future of the project.

Questions

1. Offer your own analysis of the situation to Mr. Roberge to help him pinpoint the main causes
of the difficulties of the project.
op
2. What should Mr. Roberge do now? Propose two possible solutions and present their respective
advantages and disadvantages.
tC
No
Do

2010-06-14

Copyright © HEC Montréal 2

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 HEC009
Volume 4
Issue 1
March 2006

t
os
An ERP Story: 1 Epilogue (D) 2, 3

rP
Case prepared by Professors Carmen BERNIER 4 and Vital ROY, 5 as well as Eric BRUNELLE 6

Epilogue

yo
Over the next few days, the current project leader is replaced by André Gagné, a candidate who
has studied accounting and has a master’s degree in information systems, in addition to solid
experience in the insurance industry. He has also managed several systems development projects
involving integration of information technologies and business process review.

The project leader’s main concern is to restore the project’s credibility and win the confidence of
op
the project’s team members as well as of the users and management. He reorganizes the project
team into multidisciplinary teams in charge of formulating solutions for each of the problems
identified by the project, while respecting the established project plan, budgets and calendars as
well as the constraints of the company. Each of these teams includes technical and management
experts as well as experts from each of the business units involved. Once this reorganization is
tC

underway, André Gagné organizes an orientation meeting, followed by an evening cocktail hour
for all of the members of the project and the users involved.

A few weeks after the arrival of the new project manager, there is still apprehension about the
changes to come among the staff of the various business units affected by the project. The most
serious rumours are about the number of layoffs that will result from the implementation of the
new software package, the process review and the reorganization of tasks. André Gagné requests
No

and obtains the budgets needed to offer future users intensive information sessions on the potential
and features of ABC. He also gives users a more active role in the project: they are made
responsible for reviewing their business processes. As for ABS’s technical experts and the ABC

1 This case was produced with the support of the Programme de parrainage professoral CGI and the Fonds de développement
pédagogique HEC. The authors would like to thank the evaluators for their valuable comments.
2 Translation from French of “Histoire d’ERP : épilogue (D),” case deposited under number 9 65 2006 005D.
Do

3 This project was made possible thanks to funding from the CGI Professorship.
4 Carmen Bernier is an Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
5 Vital Roy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
6 We wish to thank Jean-François Jutras for his collaboration in the writing and layout of the text.
© HEC Montréal 2010
All rights reserved for all countries. Any translation or alteration in any form whatsoever is prohibited.
The International Journal of Case Studies in Management is published on-line (www.hec.ca/revuedecas/en), ISSN 1911-2599.
This case is intended to be used as the framework for an educational discussion and does not imply any judgement on the
administrative situation presented. Deposited under number 9 65 2006 005DT with the HEC Montréal Case Centre, 3000, chemin
de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal (Québec) H3T 2A7 Canada.
This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860
 An ERP Story: Epilogue (D)

t
supplier, their responsibilities evolve into the role of consultants who propose configuration options
that meet the needs of users.

os
Twelve months later, André Gagné and his team go live with the new information system at ABS
Canada. The project team and management at ABS are now confident that the new information
system will be used and will represent a major evolution in the company’s business practices. While
most of the team members are exhausted due to long hours spent on implementing the project, they

rP
are all eager to move on to new challenges.

For the consultant, the time has come to carry out the project post mortem. François Caron reviews
the performance evaluation document that his client Jean Roberge has just submitted. The second
project leader has successfully met the challenge and exceeded the client’s expectations. He is now
getting ready to complete his report that will summarize the main points of the project and the
lessons learned.

yo
Question:

Jean Roberge and François Caron wish to document the key elements that led to the success of the
ABS project. They ask you to prepare a synthesis report of these factors.
op
tC
No
Do

2010-06-14

Copyright © HEC Montréal 2

This document is authorized for educator review use only by Pedro Julian Ramirez Angulo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia until January 2019. Copying or posting is an infringement of
copyright. [email protected] or 617.783.7860