Post by Dario Bodulica

ERP system changes are something most organizations fear, often seen as closer to a nightmare than a smooth process. Whatever you may believe it is, 𝐖𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐓! 💪🏻🍻 #CarlsbergCroatia is the first market in the CEEI region of the Carlsberg Group to co-develop a new ERP system with Microsoft and other vendors, successfully transitioning from SAP to Microsoft Dynamics, a solution now ready for use across other markets. After going through such a complex #ERPtransformation project, we could probably give lectures or even write a book about it. Still, I would like to share a few critical success factors from my perspective: • 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 & 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Creating an environment where people felt safe to openly discuss challenges helped us, a Management Team, to identify blockers early, communicate transparently, and focus on solutions. The pressure was constantly high from all sides, so we focused on giving full trust and support to the team, staying close with empathy and emotional support, while also creating space to let off steam. Beer and sweets also helped a lot. 😊 • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Strong commitment from everyone involved was essential. There were moments when it was difficult to see how and when we would reach the finish line and Go Live, but together we managed to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Success required looking beyond individual responsibilities, understanding connected processes, collaborating closely, and maintaining focus on business needs and the end-to-end user experience. Having a holistic view and the ability to connect the dots across the project team is key to moving things forward successfully. • 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Clear ownership, transparency, structured routines, detailed planning, and close collaboration made a huge difference. Working together on-site and taking an end-to-end process approach significantly improved speed, development, and issue resolution. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐬𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬. This project is yet another proof of our character, culture, capability and ability to deliver high complex tasks while maintaining a positive spirit and a “can-do” mindset besides all challenges. From the core team involved from day one in co-development, testing, and re-testing of the solution, maintaining high engagement and motivation despite setbacks, challenges, and long working hours, to everyone else who supported the project and took over parts of the workload: I am grateful to work with you and proud to lead such a great team! Huge appreciation as well to the project team led by Stella Alamil, Sladjana Ilic and Steen Pipper , our Regional and Group colleagues led by Marcin Mleczko, Zeljko Urosevic, and Mirjana V. , and all vendors and others who contributed to this success. I owe you a beer! The next PAN is on me! 🍻