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Successful management of teams, timelines, and training to support ERP System Implementation

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An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system would do wonders for a nationwide home furnishings distributor.  Sales, finance, and accounting were struggling with the manual processes and spreadsheets required to track data across ten regions and 75 warehouses.  Things were looking up with the purchase of a state-of-the-art ERP system that would enable consistent processes and integrated cross-company data.  An in-house project management team and a third-party systems integrator would manage the implementation.  However, the home furnishings client knew they’d need help translating the change’s impacts on their distributed workforce.

The client called a change management and operations excellence consulting firm they had worked with successfully in the past.  They were confident that Clerestory could develop and execute an enterprise-wide training program.  Two thousand five hundred employees needed to be prepared to work in new ways when the ERP system launched in each region.

It didn’t take long for Clerestory’s team of change management experts to diagnose the implementation plan’s critical risks.  Yes, the client needed training.  But it would only be successful if the client’s subject-matter experts and systems integrator could align on how to configure the technology to meet the business objectives.  These groups required a shared understanding of the current business processes to redesign them for the future state and configure the ERP system to support that design.  Only then could training bridge the gap between the current and future ways of working.

Fortunately, Clerestory knows how to get results.  We provided stability and program leadership to align project resources with the implementation targets.  Our team facilitated working sessions with business process owners, IT, and the systems integrator to resolve open questions on system functionality.  As change management experts, we helped map both the current and future state business processes.  Identifying the change impacts of the ERP implementation informed the training design that bridged those gaps.  All the while, we led an agile training development process to rapidly design and develop course materials in parallel with critical decision making.

The Clerestory team:

  • Developed more than 50 role-based courses to support the nationwide rollout of the ERP system.
  • Coordinated the deployment timeline so each warehouse location would receive just-in-time training ahead of their scheduled ERP go-live.
  • Onboarded a group of client subject-matter experts to learn our facilitation techniques and prepared them to deliver training at each location.
  • Led interactive exercises and skills assessments to reinforce training and enhance user readiness.

Anticipating the first wave of implementations, Clerestory delivered over 125 training classes across the client’s headquarters and primary market.  We accompanied learners through go-live, guiding them step-by-step as they encountered challenges in the system.  We also developed self-guided tools and job aids that would continue reinforcing the new skills and knowledge over the long term.

We were so successful that we worked ourselves out of a job!  We designed the curriculum in role-based modules, making it easy for the client to deliver the right content to the right learners at the remaining implementation sites.  We taught the client team to own and facilitate the training, so we could easily turn it over to them.  Our home furnishings client had a new ERP system.  They also had the knowledge, skills, and people to put it to good use.

%

user participation rate across training

“Thanks so much for all your work!  Clerestory has done an outstanding job in this huge undertaking.”

Senior Vice President

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1740 Ridge Avenue, Suite 117
Evanston, IL 60201
312.640.5777

Clerestory Consulting joined EY People Advisory Services (PAS) on December 17, 2021. The information on this site is accurate through December 17, 2021. It has not been updated to reflect the transaction.

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Sachin Master

Supply Chain Leader, Operations Expert, Program Manager

Sachin is a Senior Vice President at Clerestory Consulting with over 20 years of leadership experience in both industry and consulting.  Sachin serves as a trusted advisor to his executive-level clients and helps them deliver on strategic, operational, and technology transformations.  He leads blended client/consultant teams to provide a big-picture perspective and foster a collaborative partnership between stakeholders.  Prior to joining Clerestory, Sachin earned an MBA, deployed enterprise-wide solutions, and implemented customer-centric strategies.  Sachin has experience in manufacturing, logistics, insurance, healthcare, professional services, and high-tech (hardware and software) industries.  Sachin is known for his holistic approach to problem-solving and his direct communication style.

Maura Halbach

Inspirational Coach, Problem-Solver, Change-Maker

Maura is a Senior Vice President at Clerestory.  Since the firm began two decades ago, Maura has been a cultural standard-bearer and developer of consultants.  Maura has led transformative client engagements in the manufacturing, financial services, property management, and healthcare industries.  Maura has contributed to Clerestory’s change methodology EMBEDSM and helps clients develop a greater capacity for change.  She consistently drives sustainable results in operations excellence, organization design, and technology implementation.  Clients value Maura’s ability to unite an organizations’ employees around a shared vision to develop internal change agents.  She is highly effective at creating enthusiastic participation and meaningful collaboration.

Michelle Kerr

Trusted Advisor, Organization Designer, Change Leader

Michelle is a Co-founder and Principal of Clerestory.  She became a consultant after working in industry and completing an advanced degree in Organization Design.  Over the last 25 years, she has earned a reputation as an authority in the fields of organization design, executive project management, and HR process design.  Michelle has led numerous efforts for global companies aligning corporate strategy with investments in technology and human capital.  She has continuously improved Clerestory’s change methodology EMBEDSM and applies it to help clients with large scale transformation.  Her clients trust her to quickly adapt to fast-changing project needs.  Michelle generates tremendous client value and inspires innovation.

John Wick

Client Advisor, Fact-finder, CFO, CPA

John is a Co-founder and Principal of Clerestory.  He is a CPA by training and has over 30 years of experience leading consulting engagements in the insurance, financial services, pharmaceutical, and distribution industries.  A skilled Program Manager, John is sought after for his expertise in implementing process and technology solutions with a focus on the top line.  His clients appreciate his ownership of P&L and his deep understanding of financial processes, including financial/information technology audit concepts.  Clients view John as a thoughtful listener and an inquisitive and thorough problem solver.

Linda Toops

Leader, Mentor, Business Builder

Linda is the founder and Managing Principal of Clerestory and has more than 35 years of consulting experience.  Throughout her career, she has applied her expertise by developing high-performing teams, delivering business value, and leading companies from vision through execution.  Her bias for clear communication and processes that put people first have become values that Clerestory consultants bring to every client project.  In her role as Managing Principal, Linda is responsible for the firm’s strategy for client and staff growth.

Clerestory's Change Management Principles
  1. A clear vision and the right sponsorship enables change.
  2. Reasons for change should be fact-based and clear.
  3. People support what they create.
  4. People need to change the way they work.
  5. Deliberate communication makes change sustainable.