Single-System Success
Continued
Again, Avago executives contributed to this congenial atmosphere by giving the teams all the tools they needed. Avago employees didn't push everything off on the Oracle consultants, and the consultants didn't mind doing whatever was needed to make the project a success because they could make decisions and act on them accordingly.
"Every team had the ability, whenever there was an issue, to escalate it as high as they needed to," Lim says. "And we kept track of everything to ensure that issues that were escalated were owned by the right people. We really could address problems quickly because we had contingency plans in place ahead of time."
New Name, New Game Face
In the end, Avago's team not only beat its deadline but succeeded in implementing its new infrastructure without going over budget. On August 5, 2006, the company turned off its old legacy systems and went live with Oracle
E-Business Suite 11.5.10. The new software and hardware lets the company cut its advanced planning runtime in half—dropping from 12 to 6 hours—and improves productivity by automating processes that were previously done manually or enabling full integration within Oracle ERP. But most importantly, the company is able to maintain its best-in-class delivery and supply chain performance for its customers.
Looking back, Lim says that it was a combination of the complete sponsorship and buy-in from their executive and project teams as well as the close ties Avago formed with Oracle Consulting that helped make the project a success.
"Oracle Consulting was in place strategically. They had the knowledge, the expertise, and the management skills to drive the project through to completion," he says. "They ensured that we looked at the project in totality—not just in silo-based functions. They helped us manage the project and brought leadership to the table. They were strong pillars within our overall business team."
Key to that was Oracle Consulting's recognition and acknowledgment of what Avago was trying to accomplish. Ptak, Noel & Associates' Rasmussen says that this type of understanding can often make the difference between a project failure and success.
"Your company and its employees need to understand the scope of a project before it gets under way so you can explain it to your consultants," she says. "If you don't do the planning ahead of time and can't describe it, you're going to end up with a lot of surprises on the back end, which translates into extra cost and extra headache." This is one of Oracle Consulting's biggest strengths, says Harry Storer, Oracle's senior vice president of consulting in the Asia Pacific region.
"We're not just focused on technology or what the customer is doing at that moment. We're interested in what we can bring to the table for future implementation and use," he says. "We ask them how they want to run their businesses. We're reviewing their business processes and giving them lifetime support."
For More Information
Oracle Consulting
Oracle E-Business Suite
Karen J. Bannan is a frequent contributor to
Profit.
