I always agree with this view: "Project managers are cultivated, not learned; It was brought out, not taught. A person who wants to grow up to be a qualified project manager mainly depends on doing rather than learning, and of course learning is also very important. By doing it, you can be a project manager without learning at all. But learning without doing is absolutely impossible to get a project manager. If you don't study, there may be such a situation. You could have been a big project manager, but now you may only be a small and medium-sized project manager. Because you have no theoretical guidance, some problems may not be handled well enough. "During the implementation of the ERP project of the medium-sized iron and steel group, as an implementation team, I have summed up a lot of practical experience. Of course, these experiences can't be used as the implementation standards of project managers, and there may be personal misunderstandings, but they are provided for your reference.

First, really understand the role of the project manager.

Understanding the role of project manager must avoid two extremes. One is to overemphasize the technical ability of the project manager, thinking that the project manager should be the most skilled person in the team, and any difficult problems in project implementation will eventually be collected by the project manager, who must say "yes" or "no", otherwise he will not be convinced. The other overemphasizes the leadership ability of the project manager, and thinks that the first task of the project manager is to bring coffee to his team members and coordinate their relationship. I think the project manager should first have experience in implementing similar projects, have a clear understanding of ERP projects and have a solid foundation of relevant knowledge in the industry; We can make a scientific and practical implementation plan for this ERP project and help our team members solve problems when necessary, but it doesn't mean that the project manager must be very proficient in any technical problems. For example, for the network architecture of the project, the project manager can consult relevant professionals. But in any case, the project manager should be familiar with and understand every technology in the project, and only in this way can he fully grasp the project. Secondly, the project manager should have the ability of coordination and organization, and can adjust the atmosphere of the whole project team, "heating up" when encountering setbacks and "cooling down" when being overly optimistic; At the same time, we should have the ability to communicate and coordinate with the project unit to prepare the environment for the project implementation of our team members; When you encounter important or difficult questions, you can find the answers through various channels.

Project managers are different from ordinary professional managers. It has a strong professionalism. A person who doesn't know technology will never be a project manager. The project manager should be a combination of technology and management.

Second, attach importance to the management of the project team, with clear rewards and punishments.

In the implementation of ERP project, a set of feasible project management system must be established, especially for multi-party project teams. Only in this way can we ensure the orderly implementation of the whole project. Standardized and feasible project management systems must vary from enterprise to project. Generally speaking, it should be a comprehensive product of project management principles, enterprise/industry characteristics, project scale/nature, enterprise development culture/quality and other factors. At the same time, we should strictly implement the system, so that rewards and punishments are timely and clear. System construction must avoid two situations: first, there is no project management system, and project management is implemented only by personal experience; Second, the scholar system, copying dogma, on paper, shelved.

The core of project management is' triangle balance', that is, keeping balance in three aspects: specification, cost and progress. In the implementation of most projects, it is often impossible to establish and realize the index, assessment and control of project cost, and the control right of funds is often not owned by the project manager, but decided by the company, resulting in unclear responsibilities between the company and the project manager, some systems can not be implemented, and the project manager responsibility system can not be well realized.

In order to form a harmonious team, the project manager must act as an motivator, coach, motivator, peacekeeper and conflict arbiter.

In addition, the project manager must also pay attention to the cultivation of reserve talents in different positions. In the process of project implementation, once a team member resigns, the project manager can reasonably arrange personnel transfer and replacement; At the same time, it is convenient for players to form competition in the work process and arrange periodic vacations reasonably.

Third, plan, plan, plan.

Almost everyone knows that the implementation of the project needs to be planned. However, there are still the following phenomena in the specific operation process: First, the project plan is not rigorous, arbitrary and operability is poor, and it cannot be followed in the implementation (such as the project plan is too rough and the implementation is not enough), and the tasks, progress and resources are not implemented. Second, the whole project lacks detailed project planning, and even adopts the method of weekly project planning to make the work plan for next week every week. Its essence is "legalization of project out of control". Third, the inspection (comparison with the progress) and control of the project schedule are insufficient, and the seriousness of the project plan cannot be maintained.

Even the perfect plan will often encounter accidents, but it doesn't mean that we don't need to make plans. Without a plan, we will lose our reference. The project manager should be able to predict changes and adapt to them. Always make some "if-then" assumptions, avoid being complacent about the status quo of the project, and make timely adjustments when the project changes. Plans are always changing, and they don't change quickly. The key is that the plan can keep up with the changes.

In the process of project implementation, the whole project is often divided into several small projects. The project manager should make good use of time effectively, ensure the effective and reasonable connection between projects, and maintain the rationality and consistency of the overall plan.

The thickness of the project plan is a problem that needs to be carefully weighed. The greater the control over the detailed rules, the higher the cost of project management; Or conversely, according to the current situation in China and my personal opinion, projects with less than 3 months should be refined into working days, at least 2 ~ 3 working days; Projects that last more than half a year should take at least one week.

Fourth, truly understand the "number one project"

It is generally believed that the implementation of ERP projects is a top priority. Many projects emphasize the "first-in-command project" at the initial stage of implementation, which is well used, such as the general manager holding a meeting and setting up a project team. But often after the implementation, they can't give full play to the role of the "number one project", making the number one project an abandoned project. The project manager should play the role of the "number one" from beginning to end, and should submit the stage summary to the "number one" regularly (usually one month) or at the end of small projects, and have a brief exchange to listen to the opinions of the "number one" on the project, and propose that the "number one" hold a meeting when necessary. At the same time, the "top leader" of the project manager's company should also report and communicate regularly to get support, understanding and resource allocation.

Don't skimp on the time spent on training. It's not too much to have two or three trainings.

Training is an important link in project implementation. At present, the quality of personnel in domestic units (especially large state-owned enterprises) is relatively low, and their understanding of informatization is almost zero. Therefore, when we are training, we should carry out training in different levels and stages, and we can't expect the personnel of the unit to understand and master the operation of the software once training. Training should run through the whole project, an operation manual suitable for users should be compiled, and if necessary, a "FAQ" column should be made on the internal webpage of the unit. Be sure to avoid such thoughts and behaviors as "the customer was too slow and stupid to understand, so I helped him". ERP project is the project of our own unit, and no one can replace it.

Sixth, carry out prototype test and make feasible implementation plan from theory and practice.

Both training and planning must be based on a feasible implementation plan, otherwise, no matter how good your method is, it is impossible to achieve good results. Therefore, before the implementation, we should conduct a full system analysis and investigation, fully listen to the opinions of people at all levels, collect data from various sources, and conduct multi-angle prototype testing. Only after the project team (including ERP unit) agrees, can the implementation and training plan be formulated and implemented. Try to avoid the occurrence of scheme changes in the implementation process.

Seven, reasonably reduce customer demand.

No software is omnipotent, and it is impossible to solve all the problems of customers 100%. In the process of project implementation, we should tell users realistically and clearly what the software can't do. Some software companies and implementers are unwilling and afraid to tell users the truth, just want to change the original correct business process of the enterprise into the business process stipulated by the company's software, which leads to a stalemate between the two sides. Especially the defects of some software programs, they are unwilling to accept the accusations of users. In fact, this is completely unnecessary. Beating around the bush with users on impossible issues can only make users misunderstand you and distrust the company.

Due to various reasons, there will always be something with its own characteristics in the management of enterprises. However, it is difficult for enterprises to change the existing practices in a short time, which requires the flexibility of software and implementation. Of course, it is the best result to make the behavior of enterprises conform to relevant laws and practices as much as possible.

We should also pay attention to the 80/20 principle when dealing with customer needs, and we should not blindly reduce customer needs. Imagine how a software can't even meet 80% of customers' needs, and how can it ask customers to give up their own needs? When we talk about reasonably reducing customer demand, we should solve more than 80% of customers' needs, or solve the main needs of enterprises, rather than meeting or solving some special needs of customers in advance. In the process of project implementation, we can't promise to solve all customers' needs. If a software can meet the needs of all customers, then our implementation will be effortless, so there is no need to emphasize so many implementation methods, and enterprises do not need to consult when implementing ERP.

The above only describes my understanding of the project manager from different aspects. Of course, the most important thing in the process of project implementation is the success of implementation, no matter what method you adopt. The project manager should determine the scheme and implementation strategy suitable for the project according to its own situation.