1. It shows the 4 quadrants for an ERP implementation. The different options range in both flexibility and in centralization. What are your thoughts and/or perspective regarding this illustration?

2. Do you think more flexibility or more centralization would provide an easier transition for employees? As an employee, would you prefer to work to configure and customize the system and make it fit your business or learn the best practices "out of the box"? Can there be a happy medium?

3. Often employees aren't necessarily 'willing' to make a change. Discuss this situation from the employee and change management team's perspectives. How might they EASE the transition?

4. How did you handle a person was overconfident and unrealistic about the conversion?

Something else that might be interesting to you is this little diagram I have been working on to show some options for implementing an ERP system. On one axis is the amount of flexibility in product offerings, reacting to cus- tomer changes, opening new facilities, etc. that your company needs to com- pete effectively. The other is the degree of centralized decision making that exists in the company. This is partly a cultural characteristic. For example, do you tell the foreman what to make next or can he or she decide? Anyway here's what the diagram looks like. High Common Client Multiple Processes Multiple Clients Multiple Processes Flexibility Low Common Client Best Practices High Centralization Hal companies