ERP Strategic Stress Test
A 2-Minute Executive Reality Check
1. Strategic Mandate Weight: 20%
Has the Board authorized a "Standard-First" mandate (90/10 Rule) with final authority given to Global Process Owners?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Signed Project Charter explicitly citing the "90/10 Rule."
- GPO Appointment letters confirming cross-regional authority.
- Design Principles document approved by the Steering Committee.
2. Organizational Will Weight: 20%
Are your "A-Players" 100% dedicated to the project with fully funded backfills for their daily roles?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Project Resource Plan showing 100% FTE allocation for all leads.
- HR/Payroll confirmation of temporary/contract backfill hires.
- Signed "Commitment Agreements" from Regional Business Unit Heads.
3. Strategic Priority & Focus Weight: 15%
Has the organization stopped or deferred all other non-critical projects to ensure this ERP is the singular focus?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Official "Stop-Doing" list approved by the CEO.
- Updated Capital Plan showing deferred project dates.
- Communication to the organization regarding project prioritization.
4. Governance Velocity Weight: 15%
Is there a binding "72-Hour Ladder" resolution protocol for design and international conflicts?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Visual Decision Ladder/Escalation Flowchart for the team.
- SteerCo Charter defining "Flash Hearing" procedures.
- Historical Decision Log showing resolution velocity < 5 days.
5. Business Readiness Weight: 15%
Is there an active Data Scrubber initiative and a dashboard tracking behavioral user engagement?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Data Quality Audit Baseline for all legacy Master Data.
- Readiness Scorecard by region tracking user training/sentiment.
- Change Impact Analysis for every functional area.
6. Value Extraction Weight: 15%
Are ROI metrics (DSO, Margin, Turn) measured at baseline and tied to regional leadership incentives?
View Evidence Required for Pass- Documented baseline for core financial KPIs (DSO, Turns).
- Value Office Charter with 12-month post-live scope.
- Executive Incentive Plan updated with specific ERP Value targets.
Strategic Risk Assessment
If an organization scores in the Moderate (21–40) or High (41+) risk zones, proceeding is a gamble. The actions in the ERP Project: Risk Remediation & Turnaround Plan are designed to move the needle back toward "Green" by shifting the organizational structure from passive participation to active ownership.