My coaching point would be--focus on process and understand which processes in your operations are core and represent your competitive advantage. If full suite is forcing you to compromise there, it may be a mistake #wbsrocks

Hi Sam and Gail, looks like you guys are already chatting--but the official time for us to start is still 13 minutes away, right? I am not late, am I? #wbsrocks

Hi guys, Tom Rodden joining the conversation--CIO, Varian Medical Systems, linkedin.com/in/tom-rodden #wbsrocks

A1: how many companies do you need to work with for an ERP install? I would say you should strive for as few as possible. But 2 is pretty common--the software vendor's team and an SI. The vendor knows the tool and has better access to dev team, the SI brings PM skills #wbsrocks

A2: at least the software contract and an SI contract if you use consultants. But the software contract will cover licenses/subscriptions plus maintenance right (upgrades/patches) plus support. #wbsrocks

A3: pro's are--deepest knowledge of the software, quickest access to dev team to fix bugs/get patches, one throat to choke. #wbsrocks

A4: i would add that the larger consulting firms can bring project mgmt skills, change mgmt skills and more, that the software vendor usually does not #wbsrocks

A5: one of the key cons for me is the dependency you develop, using consultants tends to slow the development of your in-house team

Hi Sam and group, Tom Rodden here, joining late, coming off another call. Varian Medical systems, linkedin.com/in/tom-rodden/ Glad to be here #wbsrocks

Just catching up now, reading thru the Q&A. On Q#2, I would add that "champion" needs more context--are we talking about launching a program? That requires more senior leaders who carry weight and can pull strong resources into the project team. #wbsrocks

Or are we talking about the actual project/implementation team? In that case, people with hands on experience, willing to roll up their sleeves, able to build relationships...all that makes perfect sense. #wbsrocks

I would say a combination of vision statement and quantifiable metrics (DSO reduction, inventory turns, margin improvement, cycle time reduction, etc...) are solid methods of bringing a group together--understand the mission and what success looks like very clearly #wbsrocks

The meaning of "churn" here is key--are we talking about people turnover? The usual reason for that is a new business need where a stakeholder decides to pull someone out. Strong relationships with stakeholders and agreement on prgm value are vital in this case. #wbsrocks

Sneha, I love your points--sometimes the "churn" is driven by people feeling lost, dissatisfied, wanting "out". In addition to managing stakeholders and preventing people being pulled, we also need to ensure that is not the cause of the churn. #wbsrocks

On the question of whether team churn is always bad, of course the answer is "no, not always." One reason is you may have weaknesses on the team that should be addressed. But also different stages of a prgm may require different resources, so churn could be "natural" #wbsrocks

My tip would be--get people who know the "as-is" process but who also might be open to blowing up the "as-is" to create a radically new "to-be" process. Digital can enable transformation IF we bring or develop the right mindset. #wbsrocks

Hi gang, Tom Rodden here from Varian Medical, joining for 2nd time. Good topic today #CIOChat

Great thought, Mark. I was thinking about investments in financial training and business process training to complement the IT skills that a new IT person would have and be building. But I also am just now re-doing Meyers-Briggs and that is a good item for newbies too #CIOChat

A3: I have worked with my mgmt team to identify the top 10% (hipots) and (a) get them some project mgmt opps (give "people mgmt" resp w/out salary and review responsibilities), (b) get them more face time with leaders (eg, skip levels), (c) public speaking training #CIOChat

Mark, your comment about "focusing on strengths" and helping our people build on their strengths resonates with me. Good book--Feed Your Eagles--makes that very point. #CIOChat