Did they get any advice or instruction in a formal sense in what an ERP system is? ‘Yes, at the beginning of the program there were various educational events and demonstrations designed to introduce the concept of ERP and the capabilities of ERP and what it can do and what it can’t do. I think some people found it quite difficult to absorb as it was quite theoretical and not necessarily delivered in the context of their business. I also think it created some unrealistic expectations for some people, particularly in terms of reporting flexibility and capability.’ Recommendations for Management Accountants The following summaries the responses to the questions (listed below) about recommendations for Management Accountants involved in the implementation and use of ERP systems. What skills would you recommend for Management Accountants that have recently implemented ERP systems? l broaden their thinking and become more multidimensional l educator skills l analytical skills l numeric skills l technical skills l interpersonal skills (because they need to be able to communicate l ability to work effectively with non-accountants l patience – SAP can be difficult to use at first l ability to prioritize – work management l business partnering l to be focused – it is easy to be distracted ‘To me, the skills… however you define skills, competencies, whatever… the critical ones that I would be looking for are more behavioral, interpersonal, etc… I would tend to take it as read that if somebody was a qualified Management Accountant... they’d have appropriate analytical, numeric, etc. skills.’‘[They are] going to be working in an Accounting Department but [they are]going to be involved in everything… I have met and worked with lots of accountants that noticed that, in reality, often the less successful ones are those with the poorest interpersonal skills
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