This group is often skipped over in the rush to get the implementation started quickly. That would be a mistake; executives and senior management need to understand what they are in for, both in terms of future benefits and implementation challenges in the months ahead. You will probably have a relationship with SAP for the next 10-20 years therefore top management needs to get involved at the beginning.

A two-day educational session on the following topics is highly recommended:

We also recommend spending the day after this 2-day session on a simulation game specific to the SAP software. Playing a competitive simulation game with the real software is a great way to kick off a project. Invite the project team and the trainer from the first two days to participate as well. At the end of the day, debrief the entire group on key points learned during the entire three days.

Handled skillfully, these three days of SAP education result in top management understanding how SAP software will drive change within the company.

SAP education for the project team must start at the beginning of the implementation.

Your project team needs configuration-level training on all the core application modules being implemented. The focus should be on utilizing the software to complete end-to-end business processes such as order-to-cash, or procure-to-pay. Technical training includes report writing, development, and system administration.

For the project team, early SAP education is the best way to begin the process of combining your company expertise with external consultants' ERP expertise to arrive at the best-fit solution. You won't "learn everything" that the software does, but if your consultants are experienced enough, they will teach you the basics plus the functionality most relevant to your business issues.

Tip: Avoid sending your project team to week after week after week of training without the chance to use what they've learned in a prototyping environment. Two weeks in a row is the absolute maximum to schedule anyone for classes. Schedule training on a "just in time" basis, just before the course content will be project tested.

When providing SAP education and training for end-users, it is best to back-schedule the training development from your go-live date. Early on, do a rough-cut timeline so there are no surprises later. This should consider the number of users to be trained by business process, a list of work procedures that require training, estimated time for each class, sequence of classes, facilities needed, and the need to train as close to go-live as possible.

Involve both professional course developers and instructors and Super Users in a train-the-trainer model for end-user training delivery.

Use a combination of live, instructor-led classes; virtual, instructor-led classes; and eLearning content. Go beyond the standard SAP education opportunities. Arm your end users with Quick Reference Cards and online access to "how to" information. Have end users start to use what they've learned by involving them in testing the software before going live.

After going live, have your internal help desk track excessive numbers of calls and respond with additional training where needed.

The main objective of end user training is for end users to become autonomous in using SAP to accomplish their daily work tasks. Too much information at the beginning is counterproductive. Rather, after a six-month period of being live with the solution, users can benefit from a fuller discussion of alternatives within the software. They will be more able to ask questions that pertain to real life problems they've encountered.

Tip: Consider sending your Super Users to a series of detailed transaction-based courses (as opposed to configuration courses), so that they will then be able to develop a high percentage of the end-user training materials in-house. That will reduce the expense of contracting out end-user training development and execution to an outside firm.