Here's how you can navigate the typical career progression milestones in ERP.

A typical ERP career path often progresses from consultant to functional expert, then manager, director, and potentially CIO. Here's a breakdown of the key milestones: 1) ERP Consultant: Gain foundational knowledge by implementing various ERP modules across different clients. 2) ERP Functional Expert: Deepen your expertise in a specific ERP module, like finance or supply chain. 3) ERP Project Manager: Lead ERP implementations, managing teams, budgets, and ensuring project delivery. 4) ERP Director: Oversee the entire ERP system, including strategy, implementation, and ongoing optimization. 4) CIO (Chief Information Officer): Provide strategic leadership for all enterprise technology, including ERP.

You have a definite advantage if you studied ERP at tertiary level. You know its fundamentals and have ERP experience acquired during practical assignments. You can then focus on the importance of change management when interacting with employees, the attention to details necessary to identify the best-fit ERP system and fine tune the configuration and integration of ERP modules and the support of ERP users in an effective and tactful manner.

Functional ERP activities include the definition of the ERP strategy aligned with the business strategy, the gathering, analysis and definition of the ERP client's requirements, the ERP vendor selection, the configuration and integration of ERP modules, the customization of reports and user interfaces, functional ERP testing, ERP user training and support. The technical ERP consultant does ERP system installation on a secured IT platform, custom coding, integration with third-party software applications, technical ERP testing and maintenance activities like ERP updates and upgrades.

An ERP project manager is a full-fledged ERP professional with advanced technical, functional and change management experience. This person collaborates closely with the executive sponsor and has a key role for defining and validating the ERP strategy before initiation of the ERP implementation project, participating in the ERP vendor selection, identifying project team members, planning, scheduling, organizing and controlling the project activities, ensuring that the ERP implementation is achieved within the agreed scope, deadline and budget, liaising with the executive sponsor for any project amendment and progress till completion and making sure that there is a smooth transition and handing over for post-implementation ERP operations.

The ERP leader can be the executive sponsor of the ERP implementation project and is a top executive like the Chief Information or Technology Officer, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Finance Officer. This person liaises with the top management or steering committee to determine the business goals, objectives and strategy for the ERP initiative and approves the ERP strategy defined in collaboration with the ERP project manager. This ERP leader manages the financial and administrative matters with the ERP vendor, works closely with the ERP project manager and is the key person to keep top management informed and involved in the ERP implementation and operations for continuous business process improvement throughout the ERP lifespan.

Continuous improvement is essential for maintaining the enterprise's competitive advantage for sustainable growth. ERP knowledge, skills and experience must be continuously updated to exploit the evolving ERP system for fulfilling the changing requirements of the ERP client influenced by the dynamic business environment. The ideal person for this ongoing activity is a full-fledged ERP professional with advanced management skills like a Chief Information Officer with a comprehensive ERP background.

There are many paths and opportunities for an ERP professional—in technology, planning and projects, or even in business areas, as consultants gain extensive experience and knowledge in general management. Consider also those who choose to become specialists rather than managers; there is plenty of room for career growth and higher salaries by pursuing a specialist career path in a Y-shaped career.