On March 8, 2006 the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS) conducted the inaugural meeting of its Business Oversight Advisory Committee (BOAC), a five-member advisory committee made up of key business executives from the Columbus area.

The BOAC includes representatives from American Electric Power, Cardinal Health, Limited Brands, Nationwide, and Worthington Industries. Members were selected from organizations that have successfully implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems like OAKS in the private sector.

"I am happy to have participation from so many significant figures in the Columbus business community," stated David L. White, OAKS executive program manager. "I am looking forward to learning more about their experiences at future meetings," he said.

As part of the strategy for managing the implementation, the BOAC will work with OAKS sponsors, business owners, and project executives to provide direction and share best practices. The committee will meet quarterly to provide advice and guidance regarding:

• Overall project direction
• Project deliverables
• Major project decision points
• Major business transformation activities
• Benefit categories and key performance indicators

At the first meeting of the BOAC, members shared an overview of their organization's ERP implementation with OAKS project executive leadership. Other topics of discussion included post-production support, enterprise change management, and return on investment maximization.

"It was interesting to compare our implementation experiences with what the OAKS project is planning," stated Kathleen K. Starkoff, group vice president/chief technology officer, Limited Brands. "I am pleased to be able to share our experiences to ensure the OAKS project avoids pitfalls and understands the critical success factors for a successful implementation," she said.

The purpose of the OAKS project is to implement an ERP system to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative processes of the State of Ohio. The first of four scheduled implementations will occur on December 18, 2006 and will include software functionality for the state's human resource processes. Completion of the entire system is set for July 2008.

For further information contact:
OAKS Communications at OAKS.Communications@oaks.state.oh.us