WK 6 - Consulting Project, Part 3 - Final Nine West SAP Project (3)

Running head: CONSULTING PROJECT, PART 3: FINAL PROJECT
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Consulting Project, Part 3: Final Nine West SAP Project
Matthew Hallowell / Sr. Consultant
MGT/598
June 20TH
, 2016
Rachelle Disbennett-Lee / Consultant Supervisor

CONSULTING PROJECT, PART 3: FINAL PROJECT
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Consulting Project, Part 3: Final Nine West SAP Project
Introduction
This paper will outline the complete Nine West SAP Project, it will also combine with
the work, information, or data collected and presented in weeks two and three, furthering project
development. The NW SAP Project will be a complete operating systems upgrade for a major
wholesale fashion brand that does business and has operations internationally, around the world.
Within the fashion industry, SAP, as a full-service operating system, has become the
industry standard. SAP can manage the exchange of big data inputs through same day electronic
data transfers for all customer orders or order changes, manage inventory on a live basis for
superior accuracy, and better manage customer change requests to mitigate future chargebacks.
SAP will have new data auto-filters in the system, running all this customer order data through
each functional area of business, starting with order processing, compliance, allocation,
fulfillment, picking, packing, and shipment, to than billing or collections for payment. All order
files generate in the new system after order processing and compliance are complete. Shipping
files now attach to the order as it moves through the Warehouse Management Processes or WM
system. Once shipped complete, the order data is auto-sent to different operating departments for
processing.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Page Number
Introduction 2
Table of Contents 2
Company Background 3
Project Proposal 4
STEEPE Analysis & Balanced Scorecard 6 - 11
Project Plan 11 - .16
Allocated Budget 16 - 18
Key Factors:
Objectives 18

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Functional Tactics 18
Action Items 18 - 19
Milestones 19 - 20
Tasks 20
Resource Allocation 20 - 21
Success Factors 21
Implementation 22
Communication Plan 23
Evaluation Plan 23
Project Effectiveness 23 - 24
Conclusion 24
Nine West Company Background
Nine West is a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of women’s fashion products that
include a brand portfolio in the US, as well as an international brand portfolio that includes the
design of new women’s fashion products seasonally, the brand releases: new shoes, clothing, and
accessories, like designer handbags and jewelry. Nine West has an in-house design team
managed and directed by the company’s head designer. This design team needs constant access
to all product info, past to present, to identify trends and design new fashion products around
these trends, which also includes seasonal trends, and the design of seasonal fashion product
lines.
The CEO of NW has received several complaints from top key accounts about the
company’s now outdated operating system. Loyal customers are threatening to leave if the
system upgrade to the new industry standard of SAP is not accomplished. The current system is
causing large, loyal, wholesale customers more work to enter NW orders that are to be EDI’d
over to NW, as well as managing order changes with customers to ensure the data matches on
both sides, thus mitigating chargebacks for order error. SAP will resolve all of these issues.
The current system NW operates off of is DOS based and does link to WM or the
Warehouse Management System but it does not auto-generate reports, and products are moved

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manually through the WM system with no operational connection. The link that exists is a
viewable link only, which allows for the search and tracking of orders with the Warehouse or
WM System by the order number. The system is always a day behind as EDI’s can only be
received by the system overnight for that current day, so any order changes causes a delay in
processing time and, thus, backlogs order changes and causes an increase in chargebacks.
Project Proposal
The main purpose of the project proposal for the NW SAP Project is to develop “a
statement of work” since this project is technical based that outlines the work necessary, who is
involved as project participants, and why the work is needed. (Phillips, J., 2015)
Project Proposal
Project Participants (In order of
priority)
Involvement
SAP Consultant Comments
Executive Management X Client / Project Sponsor
Finance X Support Staff / Budget / Payments
Human Resources X Support Staff / Employee Management
IT Department X Support Staff / Systems Management
SAP Consulting Team X Ext. Team / 6 Members / $100 PER HR
Nine West Management:
Upper X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Middle X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Lower X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Employees:
Sr. Employees X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
General Employees (All Levels) X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Sales X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Customer Service X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
Distribution Center, or DC: X
WM System X Existing System / Need to link into or tie into with SAP
WM Processes X Project Participant / Data Source / End User
SAP System Purchase X
The new SAP System with enhancements for BW & WM
Systems

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BW Reporting System Development X New data base to house order & financial data for reporting
SAP Implementation X New SAP system implementation for every department
These are the key project participants or current systems included in the NW SAP
Project. It is key to note here that the client needs SAP to tie into a reporting based system that is
called BW Reporting as well as the brands current WM System or Warehouse Management
System and processes. The upgrade will allow system end users to track in real time, by order
number, where any order is down at the Distribution Center, or DC, the stage of shipment it is in
from: received, sorted, picked, packed, to loaded, and shipped. Changes can be made to the order
through the WM system, an extension of SAP, while in received and sorted status. The system
gives allocation time for error in case an order needs revision or dropped to the DC before the
inventory completed pick and pack for the drop order.
The new operating system project or upgrade to SAP for NW is needed for the company
to remain competitive in their markets, relevant with consumers, and current with fashion trends,
meeting industry standards, and retaining customers, while also being able to process large
amounts of data via, EDI input, or electronic data transfer. SAP allows for quicker, more
accurate, and more efficient order processing, that is totally paperless and can better handle order
change management.
STEEPLE Analysis
The STEEPLE Analysis reviews different macro-environmental external factors within
the project such as:
S = SOCIAL
T = TECHNOLOGICAL
E = ECONOMIC

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E = ENVIRONMENTAL
P = POLITICAL
L = LEGAL
E = ETHICAL
= STEEPLE ANALYSIS
SOCIAL
• CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHICS
• FASHION TRENDS
• SOCIAL MEDIA
• MARKET TRENDS
• FASHION CULTURE
• COMPETING BRANDS
• INDUSTRY STANDARDS
• WHOLESALE CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
These are all external social factors that are the first component in the STEEPLE Analysis for
the Nine West SAP Project. Social factors are never constant and can help a business change
over time or develop advanced marketing strategies that work to improve products and the sales
process. For the Nine West Project, these social factors have influenced the need and demand for
an improved operating system. (Performance Consulting, 2008)
TECHNOLOGICAL
• EXCHANGE OF BIG DATA AND INFORMATION
• EDI ADVANCEMENTS
• NEW TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
• NEW IT PROCESSES
• NEW MOBILE COMMERCE ADVANCEMENTS
• PAPERLESS CUSTOMER ORDER PROCESSING
• NEW INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
• NEW PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

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These are all the external technological factors that are the second component in the
STEEPLE Analysis for the Nine West SAP Project. Technological factors link to the processing
power of the organization, along with industry standards that develop the need or demand for
technological change. For the Nine West SAP Project, the new operating system will improve
the accuracy of the data or information transmitted, improve order turn around, and processing
time, as well as better manage system changes that work to improve brand performance or
operations. (Phillips, J., 2015)
ECONOMIC
• INCREASED PRODUCTION COSTS
• UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS
• ECONOMIC STANDING: GROWTH OR DECLINE
• SHIPPING COSTS
• LABOR COSTS
• INDUSTRY OPERATING SYSTEM COSTS
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COSTS
• BRAND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
These are all the external economic factors that are the third component in the analysis for
the Nine West SAP Project. Economic factors can influence change in business operations.
Sometimes these changes are positive or negative. However, the Nine West SAP Project, while
being a huge initial cost, should help the brand improve efficiency in operations and output that
will cut costs while improving the bottom line. (Performance Consulting, 2008)
ENVIRONMENTAL
• CLEAN ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS OPERATIONS
• THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THE BRAND OPERATES
• THE BRAND'S CARBON FOOT-PRINT
• NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION
• SOCIAL-ENVIRONMENTAL BRAND CAMPAIGNS

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• ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
• INDUSTRY IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
• PAPERLESS CUSTOMER ORDER PROCESSING AND NINE WEST SHOES FOR SOUL’S
CAMPAIGN
These are all the external environmental factors that are the fourth component in the analysis
for the Nine West SAP Project. The Shoes for Soul’s Campaign began as a social-reform
campaign that rewarded those in need with a free pair of shoes when any customer would bring
an old, worn, pair of shoes to a Nine West store to be recycled. The customer would get half off
for each drop off date on a new pair of shoes and, once bought, Nine West would ship a free pair
of shoes for those in need. Environmental factor projections show vast improvement with the
Nine West SAP Project. The brand will be able to develop paperless order processing processes
that save on printing and overall paper use. (Phillips, J., 2015)
POLITICAL AND LEGAL
• LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF REGIONAL BRAND LOCATIONS
• FASHION INDUSTRY RULES AND REGULATIONS
• SALES TAX OF REGIONAL BRAND LOCATIONS
• CORPORATE OR BUSINESS TAXES
• RELEASING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
• COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AND LOGISTICS
• SECURE TRADE ROUTES
• IMPORT OR EXPORT TAXES
These are all the external political and legal factors that are the fifth and six components in
the STEEPLE Analysis for the Nine West SAP Project. Political and legal factors of the analysis
are very important, as all businesses must follow the law of the lands in which they operate.
Managers need to be aware that the company is following all laws and regulations, regardless of
location. The business must ensure compliance with any rule or regulation that applies to the

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industry or company operations, or even executive management. (Performance Consulting,
2008)
ETHICAL
• GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICES
• CULTURE
• ACCURATE FINANCIAL REPORTING
• ETHICAL VALUES BY REGION OR LOCATION
• COMMUNITY GOALS
• INDUSTRY ETHICAL CODES OR STANDARDS
• CUSTOMER VAULES
• BUSINESS PARTNERS’ CULTURE AND VALUES
These are all the external ethical factors that are the last and seventh component in the
analysis for the Nine West SAP Project. These ethical factors hinge on what is morally right and
should promote good or better business practices within the fashion industry. The Nine West
SAP Project will allow employees in key departments to better meet ethical obligations in
business, like accurate financial reporting, which is key for a publicly held company with
investors and shareholders. What is right influences on business practices that improve ethical
standards. (Phillips, J., 2015)
Balanced Scorecard
The Balanced scorecard has four categories of data metrics that are project specific and
developed by the project team to measure the performance of a project, or against the client’s
organization for use by their executive management team. For the NW SAP Project, the balanced
scorecard will assess data in four key metrics for evaluation, one process, two operational, three
financial, and fourth growth. These four metrics will give the NW Executive Management Team
the ability to analyze the project, its progress through to implementation, and even project close.

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The consulting team can generate reports for the Executive Management team using these four
metrics as a basis for their analysis. (Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P., 2001)
ONE - PROCESS:
• NEW SAP PROCESSES
• NEW CUSTOMER ORDER PROCESS
• NEW SYSTEM
• UPGRADED TECHNOLOGY
• NEW USER SAP SKILLS
TWO - OPERATIONAL:
• PRODUCT QUALITY
• IMPROVED ORGANIZATIONAL OUTPUT
• IMPROVED QUALITY OF SERVICE
• PRODUCTION
• IMPROVED PRODUCTIVTY
THREE - FINANCIAL:
• DECREASING EXPENSES
• NEW AREAS OF REVENUE
• IMPROVING BRAND PROFITABLITY
• RESOURCE EFFICIENY
• CREATING IMPROVED CUSTOMER VALUE
FOUR - GROWTH:
• EXPANDED OPERATIONS
• NEW MARKETS
• NEW PRODUCTS
• NEW SERVICES
• INCREASED PRODUCTION
Project Plan
Project objectives developed based on five different levels. One, reaction, how will the
client and stakeholders involved with the project react to the project results. Two, learning,

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developing training programs for the project stakeholders or end users involved. Three,
application and implementation, the best implementation plan that includes performance metrics
for measuring project success. Four, impact, what business changes will occur because of the
project. And level five, return on investment or ROI, determining the monetary value of project
benefits to the business as compared to project expenses. (Phillips, J., 2015) For the Nine West
SAP Project the objectives will be:
Level One Reaction:
• IT Department, facing new processes around receiving new data transfers
• Customer Service Department, facing new order processing processes
• Managers need to be positive and support the project
• Wholesale Customers will remain loyal to Nine West
These four reaction objectives will occur because of implementing the new SAP system, but
the main objective of this project will be to improve customer service. As the company is being
threatened by some of its largest wholesale customers, the potential to lose a great deal of sales
and loyal customers are a major threat should the systems upgrade not take place following
industry standards to SAP. (Markham, C., 2005)
Level Two Learning:
• IT Training Program
• Customer Service Training Program
• Operations Training Program
• SAP Screens and Step by Step Navigation

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These four learning objectives will cover the key departments on new SAP system training
that is role specific. Generally, an operations program should be developed that will include all
the departments that make up the total business function to understand how customer data needs
to be entered and setup in the system to receive big data transfers. Following that, SAP needs to
be able to reassemble that transmitted data into a customer order that the customer service team
can process. For role specific training, and even for departmental managers pulling data to
compile reports, end users must be familiar with SAP screens and understand systematic
navigation, as they need it operating in the new system. It is essential that all functional
departmental managers are involved with the project implementation, but also with the
development of role specific training needed for departmental employees. (Chitakornkijsil, P.,
2011)
Level Three Application and Implementation:
• Create an implementation timeline for functional departmental upgrades
• Review each departmental implementation for system change management
• Reporting metrics for management to pull key data points
• Compare current performance rates using SAP to prior yearly performance data rates to
measure areas of improvement
Through application and implementation, a timeline should be created that will outline what
department will start the upgrade through the last department to be upgraded. The first
department upgraded should be Human Resources as they have the least effect on the total
business output. After each departmental implementation or upgrade, the departmental manager
should work with the consultant to review any system changes necessary to improve role specific
performance. A separate reporting system developed for all levels of management to pull key

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data points of their choosing out of SAP to evaluate system performance and improve
departmental performance. Old system data will be stored on SAP so departmental managers and
sales can pull previous yearly data to determine where and how improvements are taking place in
the new system. (Markham, C., 2005)
Level Four Impact:
• Improve operations
• Improve data exchange and transfers
• Improve order processing time
• Improve order quality through enhanced management of change
Impact objectives are critical to understanding how the project is going to impact key
business operations or functional areas of business and what improvements are going to occur as
a result. With a customer service focus as the main objective, the main impact of the new system
is to improve performance within the customer order data received and processed into an order.
Also with the SAP upgrade, the whole company, or total business output, will improve as the
company is upgrading its ability to exchange information or order data with business partners
and customers to improve data exchange transfers. The upgrade allows the company to pull new
data transfers twice daily to not only capture all orders, but also better manage customer order
changes for improved order accuracy. (Chitakornkijsil, P., 2011)
Level Five ROI:
• Assigning a monetary value for project benefits
• Recover all project expenses through improved efficiency and effectiveness with data
• Reducing chargeback by fifty percent

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• Improving order turn around by fifty percent
A return on investment or ROI is crucial in determining project benefits for the client
equaling monetary value to understand the full benefit of the systems upgrade. All project
expenses based on how Nine West can now handle data transfers for more efficient and effective
data exchange between business partners, and customers. Through building the new SAP process
for the customer service department, company chargeback expected reduction is fifty percent,
saving Nine West a lot of money by better managing order changes with customers. With an
improved order turnaround time, customer service is able to process orders fifty percent quicker,
which means they can process orders more quickly, efficiently, and effectively, while following
a change management process. The new change management process must ensure any order
changes made on the Nine West side also reach the customer’s side, and the order is re-
transmitted so all the data matches, mitigating future chargebacks by fifty percent from all
wholesale customers. (Performance Consulting: A Practical Guide for HR and Learning
Professionals, 2008)
V Model
Using the V Model, the Nine West SAP project objectives link to the project result, the
systems upgrade. The upgrade basis starts based on several criteria. Pay off needs linking with
ROI objectives, business needs with impact objectives, performance needs with application
objectives, learning needs with actual learning objectives, and performance needs with reaction.
The list creates a V Model containing all the project benefits from the initial start through to
project completion that include measurement metrics for tracking the project and ensuring the
project is meeting all project objectives. The V Model links these objectives together to create an
outline for the project from start to finish, objective by objective. (Phillips, J., 2015)

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Project Goals
For the Nine West SAP Project, the main goals for project success are to:
• Development a implementation timeline for company departments or functional areas of
business
• Provide better customer service to loyal wholesale customers with the systems upgrade to
SAP
• Improve how Nine West can handle data transfers
• Improve order turnaround time and order quality through change management, mitigating
future wholesale customer chargebacks
The goals for the project are clear and simple but will ensure Nine West does not lose any
business as a result, or any loyal customers. The main goal is to improve customer service
standards and create new policies on customer change order management. (Kaplan, R. S., &
Norton, D. P., 2001)
Project Needs
The needs of the project are going to be the initial cost of the complete systems upgrade
to SAP. As well as the development of training programs for key departments or functional areas
of business that adequately train all employees on the new system. The screens they will need to
know to complete their daily roles, along with the step-by-step navigation through the new
system. (Phillips, J., 2015)
Project Timeline
NINE
WEST SAP
PROJECT
TIMELINE
PLANNING EXECUTION IMPLEMENTATION
PROJECT
CLOSE
PROJECT FOLLOW-
UP (Standard / After
Project Close)

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8 Weeks 4 Weeks 8 Weeks 2 Weeks 1ST - 4 Weeks
2ND - 8 Weeks / (4
Weeks)
3RD - 12 Weeks / (4
Weeks)
SAP Consultants
Total NW SAP
Project Length = 22
Weeks
+
Follow-Up Total = 12
Weeks
= Total Project Working
Time = 34 Weeks
Allocated Budget
An allocated budget will finalize project costs into a complete budget and, in some cases,
use a mix of budgetary processes to develop refined project costs like a fixed budget, reporting
all costs that will not change with the amount of work completed throughout the project, costs
like facilities, support staff, and overhead. The Variable budget reports costs directly related to
the project such as project output, number of participants involved, materials, travel, and
consultant team members, are all variable costs. This budget developed uses costs based on a flat
fee per head count on the project team. (Phillips, J., 2015)
Allocated Budget: NW SAP PROJECT
Variable Costs: Project Specific US DOLLARS SAP CONSULTANT NOTES
Project Team - 6 / $100 PER HR N/A
Labor Worked: Total HRS & COST N/A N/A
Total Hours - 880 HRS / 22 WEEKS NO OVERTIME NEEDED
Total Cost - $528,000.00 ACTUAL COSTS
On-Site / Travel $528,000.00 ACTUAL COSTS
SAP System Cost: $1,000,000.00 SYSTEM PURCHASE
System Enhancements - $400,000.00 LINK TO WM & BW SYSTEMS
System Development / BW Reporting - $600,000.00 CREATE BW REPORTING SYSTEM
Training Program / Materials $200,000.00 USED
Project Materials $200,000.00 USED
Total Project Costs for 22 Weeks = $3,456,000.00 ACTUAL PROJECT COSTS
Billable $3,456,000.00 BALANCE
Contingency Fund: PRE-PAID BILLED AT START
20% Total Project Cost = $691,200.00 USED – DEDUCTED FROM BALANCE
Project Follow-Up: 12 Weeks N/A NO ISSUES FOUND
Project Team - 6 / $100 PER HR N/A
1ST - 4 Weeks / 160 HRS $96,000.00 COMPLETED
2ND - 4 Weeks / 160 HRS $96,000.00 COMPLETED
3RD - 4 Weeks / 160 HRS $96,000.00 COMPLETED
12 Weeks Total / 480 HRS Total = $288,000.00 ACTUAL COSTS
Billable $288,000.00 BALANCE

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Total Project Costs + Follow-Up Costs = $3,744,000.00 ACTUAL COSTS
Contingency Fund (-$691,200.00) = $3,052,800.00 BALANCE
Total Billable Costs - $3,052,800.00 BALANCE DUE NOW
Fixed Costs: NINE WEST Specific. Totals Per Month NINE WEST COST BREAKDOWN
NINE WEST Departmental Salaries: N/A N/A
Human Resources $600,000.00 SUPPORT STAFF
Finance $5,000,000.00 SUPPORT STAFF
IT Department $1,000,000.00 SUPPORT STAFF
Employees (All Departments) $7,600,000.00 PARTICIPANT
Retail Divisional Costs $1,000,000.00 PARTICIPANT
Administrative Costs $500,000.00 SUPPORT
Utilities: Phone / Internet / Email / Electricity / Other
=
$400,000.00
SUPPORT
Total Fixed Costs Per Month =
$16,100,000.00
TOTAL NINE WEST OPERATING
COSTS PER MONTH
Costs by Project Phase: PROJECT PHASE COST BREAKDOWN
Planning Costs = $1,056,000.00 PROJECT TEAM + ON-SITE / TRAVLE
Execution Costs = $400,000.00
TRAINING PROGRAM / MATERIALS +
PROJECT MATERIALS
Implementation Costs = $2,528,000.00
PROJECT TEAM + SAP SYSTEM +
ENHANCEMENTS + DEVELOPMENT
Project Close Costs = $3,744,000.00
TOTAL PROJECT + TOTAL PROJECT
FOLLOW-UP
Follow-Up Costs = $288,000.00 TOTAL PROJECT FOLLOW-UP
Added Value:
Improved Order Turn-Around Time By 50%
IMPROVED FROM 15% AT PROJECT
START
Decrease in Chargebacks By 80%
DECREASED IN CHAREBACKS BY 80%
SINCE PROJECT START TO JUST 10%
AT PROJECT CLOSE. PRIOR YEAR
PERCENTAGE OF CHAREBACKS WAS
AT AN ALL TIME HIGH OF 90% OF
ALL ORDERS WERE BEING CHARGED
BACK DUE TO ERRORS.
EDI Transfer Fee $0.05 per incoming EDI Transfer
$500,000.00 by project close, $1,000,000.00 per
year projected.
CREATED A NEW AREA OF REVENUE
FOR NINE WEST. INCOMMING EDI
TRANSFERS COST CUSTOMERS A FEE
OF $0.05 MAKING $500,000 BY PROJECT
CLOSE AND $1,000,000.00 PER YEAR OF
PROJECTED REVENUE.
(Smith, W. W., Litvin, S. W., & Canberg, A., 2010)
Key Factors for the NW SAP Project
o Objectives
 Purchase and customize SAP for NW use
 Determine system needs from system wants

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 Outline system parameters with NW daily business functions
 Implement the new system company wide, by department
 Train all employees, including management on SAP use
 Further develop and train all end users on the BW Reporting System,
along with how info or data is pulled out of SAP for report creation
o Functional Tactics
 System enhancements
 System features
 SAP navigation
 Improve order processing
 Improve big data transfers to twice daily
 Improve the quality and quantity of data being transmitted via EDI
o Action Items / In order of Priority
 Work with IT to purchase the new system, and begin installation
 Involve all functional areas of business as project participants
 Work with HR and IT to create a training program for all employees
and management
 Work with departmental management to create an implementation
schedule for the systems upgrade
 Select a go live date for the implementation sequence to begin

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 Select a grace period for all employees that starts after the go live date
and allows employees to make mistakes in a grace period, designed for
learning and training development with use of the new system
o Milestones
 NW SAP Project Total is 22 Weeks + 12 Weeks of Follow-up
• Planning / Project Start
o 8 Weeks
• Execution / Research and Development
o 4 Weeks
• Implementation / Training
o 8 Weeks
• Project Close
o 2 Weeks
• Project Follow-up / After Project Close
o 1ST
- 4 Weeks
o 2ND
- 8 Weeks
o 3RD
- 12 Weeks
o Every four weeks, for three months, after project close
o Tasks
TASKS for
the NW SAP
P =
PLANNING
E =
EXECUTION
I = IMPLEMENTATION C = CLOSE
PROJECT
F = FOLLOW-
UP

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PROJECT
Nine Wes
Executive
Management Finance
Human
Resources
IT, or Information
Technology
Departmental
Management Employees
Ext. SAP
Consultants
P P P P P P
E E E E E E E
I I I I I I
C C C C C C
F F F F F F F
o Resource Allocation
Resource allocation is going to be a critical continuous process throughout all
phases of the project lifecycle. Considering this, one of the client’s most senior
departments should manage resources, and that is Finance. The Finance Director will be
the manager responsible for all aspects of the budget, and any additional expenses must
be submitted to the Finance Department or Team for further review.
Please note, if additional expenses should be requested, it will be made by the Sr.
Project Consultant and will be submitted to Finance with a full explanation for the
additional expense and it will be at the discretion of the Finance Director to approve or
deny any or all additional expenses. Additional expenses can be denied without reason or
further explanation of why the expense was denied. (White. L.N., 2007)
Lastly, as part of the Resource Allocation with a systems project, system changes
or enhancement changes must be monitored, logged, and tracked. All system changes go
through the Sr. Project Consultant who will review the change request, if approved,
forward the change request to the IT Department for cost analysis. Once cost estimation
is completed, return to the Sr. Project Consultant who has the discretion to deny the
change or approve the change further, and submit all the change request info to Finance
for a final approval or denial.

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Success Factors
• Improved order turn-around time by fifty percent, it was fifteen percent at project start.
Based on project evaluation and follow-up data this figure should continue to rise over
time as more orders complete through the system.
• Decrease in Chargebacks by eighty percent, it was at an all time high for Nine West at
project start, ninety percent of all orders were being charged back for errors that
circulated around order changes. Now with the new system there was an eighty percent
decrease in chargebacks due to errors to only ten percent. This when the prior year’s
number was ninety percent of all orders were being charged back.
• Increase in revenue for now being able to charge for the new EDI service. All accounts
from major to minor are assessed an EDI fee for transmitting their orders and for having
to transmit order changes of five cents per transfer. This has created a completely new
area of revenue for Nine West that made the company five hundred thousand during the
project lifecycle and by project close. The projection is to be at least one million a year or
more in additional revenue.
(García-Valderrama, T., 2015)
Implementation
Implementation will occur in a controlled sequence and should start in a department that
does not have a real affect on the brands total business output. Implementation of the new SAP
system should begin in the Human Resource Department as their use of the new SAP system is
minimal, and they are not part of the brands total business output. From HR the implementation

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should move to credit and collections, but only after all issues have been resolved and any
changes logged and reviewed.
All system change requests collected and logged by the Consultant team after each
department upgrade onto the new system. System changes controlled by the SAP team of
consultants, with no control or cap on system changes, they can get out of control rather quickly.
All aspects of system testing and departmental function should be tested and ready to go live,
before moving the implementation on to the next department. Any issues found or change
requests to the system must be worked out before each department’s implementation file can be
closed out and the consultant team can continue. (White. L.N., 2007)
This project is a controlled implementation that will flow from its start in Human
Resources through each operating department of the brand. All issues must be resolved and all
system changes reviewed, before implementation closes at the department level. The department
must be live, up and running in SAP without issue, before implementation closes and moves onto
the next department.
Communication Plan
Communicatio
n Plan
P = PROJECT OPEN / E = EXECUTION / I = IMPLEMENTATION / C = CLOSE PROJECT / F =
FOLLOW-UP
Departmental /
Teams
Reason for Communication
Communicatio
n Time Line
Communicatio
n Channel Communicator Status
NW Executive
Management
P, I, C, F
Various
Meeting,
Email, Phone SAP Con.
COMPLET
E
Finance P, E, I, C, F
Various Email, Phone SAP Con.
COMPLET
E
Human
Resources
P, E, I, C, F
Various
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
IT Department P, E, I, C, F
Various
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
Departmental
Management
P, E, I, C, F
Various
Training,
Meeting,
COMPLET
E

23
Employees P, E, I, F
Various
Training,
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
SAP
Consultant
Team
P, E, I, C, F
Various
Training,
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
Customer
Service
P, E, I, F
Various
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
Warehouse
Management
P, I, F
Various
Meeting,
COMPLET
E
*ALL COMMUNCATION WILL FILTER THROUGH THE TEAM OF SAP CONSULTANTS PRIOR TO ANY
OTHER PROJECT PARTICPANTS. (Rimando, M., 2015)
Evaluation Plan
NINE WEST
SAP
PROJECT
EVALUATION SAP CONSULTANT REVIEW = SCR
PLANNING EXECUTION IMPLEMENTATION
PROJECT
CLOSE
PROJECT FOLLOW-
UP (Standard / After
Project Close)
8 Weeks 4 Weeks 8 Weeks 2 Weeks 1ST - 4 Weeks / SCR
SCR – 2 WKS
SCR – 2
WKS
SCR – 2 WKS SCR – 2 WKS
2ND - 8 Weeks / (4
Weeks) / SCR
SCR – 6 WKS
SCR – 2
WKS
SCR – 6 WKS SCR – 2 WKS
3RD - 12 Weeks / (4
Weeks) / SCR
SAP Consultants
Total NW SAP
Project Length = 22
Weeks / SCR
+
Follow-Up Total = 12
Weeks / SCR
= Total Project Working
Time = 34 Weeks / SCR
Project's Effectiveness
After Project Survey
Answers: Y=YES / N=NO / N/A=NOT
APPLICABLE
Name?
Department?
Prefer new system to old?
Do you like SAP?
Do you know your role in SAP?
Have you customized your T-Codes?
Can you do your role quicker?
Can you process orders quicker?
Did you complete training?
Was the training good for you?
Was the trainer engaging?
Did the training apply to your role?
Are you familiar with SAP navigation?
Did SAP improve your role?
Did SAP improve your time?

24
*ADD. LINE FOR COMMENTS: X
(Ajmal, M. M., Nordström, F., & Helo, P., 2009)
Conclusion
To close, the NW SAP Project fully outlined the entire project from project planning to
project close, and identified several new benefits because of the project completing as a success.
Nine West will generate a new area of revenue growth through the fees assessed for incoming
data transfers, or customer orders, and order changes. In order to be sure the customer has made
the requested change, a retransmission request now ensures the data matches, mitigating future
chargebacks. Over time, this project will pay for itself through the EDI fees NW will now make
as new revenue on new and change transmissions, and the decrease in chargebacks on orders,
improving the quality of order data NW is shipping out.

25
References
Ajmal, M. M., Nordström, F., & Helo, P. (2009). Assessing the effectiveness of business
consulting in operations development projects. International Journal of Productivity and
Performance Management, 58(6), 523-541. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17410400910977073
Chitakornkijsil, P. (2011). MANAGEMENT CONSULTING: A PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE. International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online), 3(3), 6-21.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/905945210?accountid=458
García-Valderrama, T., & Mulero-Mendigorri, E. (2005). Content validation of a measure of
R&D effectiveness. R&D Management, 35(3), 311-331. doi:10.1111/j.1467-
9310.2005.00392.x
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P., (2001). TRANSFORMING THE BALANCED SCORECARD
FROM PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT TO STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: PART I.
Accounting horizons, 15(1), 87-104.

26
Markham, C. (2005). Developing Consulting Skills. Consulting to Management, 16(4), 33-37.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215899787?accountid=458
Meng, J. and Berger, B. (2012). Measuring return on investment (ROI) of organizations’ internal
communication efforts. Journal of Communication Management, 16(4), 332 – 354.
doi 10.1108/13632541211278987
Performance Consulting: A Practical Guide for HR and Learning Professionals (Second Edition).
(2008). The journal for quality and participation, 31(2), 32. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/219150807?accountid=458
Phillips, J., Trotter, W. D. & Phillips, P. P. (2015) Maximizing the Value of Consulting. Boston,
MA; Wiley.
Rimando, M., Brace, A., Namageyo-Funa, A., Parr, T., Sealy, D., Davis, T., Martinez, L., &
Christiana, R. (2015). Data collection challenges and recommendations for early career
researchers. The Qualitative Report, 20(12), 2025-2036. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1753373014?accountid=458
Smith, W. W., Litvin, S. W., & Canberg, A. (2010). Setting parameters: Operational budget size
and allocation of resources. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 1(3), 238-
243. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17852951011078032

27
Strategy2act. (n.d.) Balanced Scorecard and KPI, Performance-Based Management and
Benchmarking. Retrieved from http://www.strategy2act.com/solutions/performance-
benchmarking.htm
White. L.N., (2007) Unseen measures: The Need to Count for intangibles: The Bottom Line,
vol20. Issue2, pp 77-84. Retrieved from
http://uopx.summon.serialssolutions.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/search?s.fvf%5B
%5D=IsScholarly%2Ctrue%2Cf&s.q=intangible+measures

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