The Three Knobs

In project management, there are three primary variables: the
amount of work to be done; the amount of time available (calendar
time, not person-years); and the amount of resources available to accomplish
the work. Think of these as three knobs, which can be adjusted
(as shown in Figure 2-1).
It’s possible to hold any two of these knobs constant by varying
the third. For example, let’s assume the following set of conditions:
1. The workload is considered to be a constant, a given. There is
a certain amount of work that simply has to be done to implement
ERP.
2. The time can also be considered a constant, and, in this example,
let’s say it’s fixed at about 18 months.
3. The variable then becomes the resource knob. By adjusting it,
by providing resources at the appropriate level, the company
can accomplish the necessary amount of work in the defined
time. (Developing a proper cost-benefit analysis can put the
resource issue into clearer focus, and we’ll return to that issue
in Chapter 5.)
But, what if a company can’t increase the resource knob? Sometimes,
it’s simply not possible. Maybe there’s not enough money, or
the organization is stretched so thin already that consuming large
blocks of employee time on an implementation just isn’t in the cards.
Well, there’s good news. Within the Proven Path, provisions are
made for:
The Implementation Challenge 29
WORK TIME RESOURCES
Figure 2-1
Work, Time, and Resources
• Company-wide implementation: total company project; all
ERP functions implemented; time frame one to two years.
• Quick-Slice ERP implementation: confined to one or several
Pareto2 high-impact product lines; most, but not all, ERP functions
implemented; time frame three to five months.
With Quick-Slice ERP, the resources are considered a constant,
because they are limited. Further, the time is considered fixed and
is a very short, aggressive period. Thus the variable becomes the
amount of work to be done. The principle of urgency applies here
also; since only a portion of the products/company will be cutting
over to ERP, it should be done quickly. This is because the company
will need to move aggressively to the next step, which may be to do
another Quick-Slice implementation on the next product family or
perhaps to convert to a company-wide implementation.
Resource constraints are only one reason why companies elect to
begin implementation on a Quick-Slice basis. For other reasons, and
for a detailed description of the Quick-Slice implementation process
via the Pr oven Path, see Chapters 13 and 14. F or now, let’s examine
the Proven Path methodology, realizing that either implementation
approach—company-wide or Quick Slice—applies.