We define the system administrator as "the client person who has responsibility for the successful implementation and daily operation of the system."
The System Administrator is the most important element in the system, more important than the network, more important than the software, and more important than any other element. We have seen excellent systems fail because the system administrator was lacking in either capability or commitment; and we have also seen relatively poor systems succeed grandly because of an excellent system administrator.
The person who takes on this responsibility should have several characteristics:
- Management authority
- An overall understanding of the company
- A strong accounting aptitude and background
- A commitment to the success of the system
Capable and Committed
In other words, the person should be both capable of performing the job successfully, and committed to the success of the project.
The system administrator should be trained in all aspects of the system, and be the central system authority within the client organization. Others may be responsible for portions of the system, but final accountability remains with this person. This person is also the principal contact with MASI, to assist in the scheduling, planning, delivery, training, problem solving, and all the other tasks involved in the installation, implementation, and operation of the system.
On an on-going basis, the system administrator coordinates new program design and development projects, reviews designs and cost estimates, reviews demonstrations of the resulting programs, conducts pre-production testing, and works with our people to implement the changes to the system.
Who Performs this Role?
The person who fills this role varies from client to client, but in virtually all mid-size companies it is the Controller or primary accountant. In other cases, especially in larger organizations, there is a position created (or already existing) for this position, and in large companies, the MIS Director is often the incumbent, working closely with an accounting manager. In other cases, a client will hire a consultant to perform this role during implementation and at the same time train an employee to take over after implementation.
In almost all cases, the system administrator should not be the company president. For one thing, the president is too busy taking care of the business to take on such a time-consuming new job. Another mistake is to assign the "new shipping clerk because he's really into computers." What is needed is someone with experience in the client company, who has (hopefully) been there for a few years. Attributes beyond the experience factor are communication skills, attention to detail, and either experience with accounting or a strong aptitude for accounting.
Avoid Failure
Remember, this person is the most important element in your new system. With the right person, the system will succeed grandly. With the wrong person, the system will fail, regardless of the excellence of the system or the amount of time, effort, and money spent to make it successful.
Before we at MASI enter into an agreement with a new client, we identify this person (with the client), and we spend considerable time determining his or her capabilities and commitment to the success of the project. In every case, we discuss this role and the assigned person internally before we decide whether to enter into an agreement with the client.
If we conclude the client does not have a person who can successfully fill this role, we simply will not enter into an agreement for a system until the problem is solved. If we did, knowing the system has a high probability of failure, we would be doing both the client and our own people a tremendous disservice. It would be a waste of the client's money and a frustrating experience for everyone involved. (By the way, the client almost always completely agrees with our assessment, and is not surprised at all with our conclusion.)
In most cases, however, the right person is somewhere in the organization, usually in an accounting role. And almost universally the appointed person is thrilled to take on the additional responsibilities!
The System Administrator is a key element, both during the implementation of the system and throughout its successful life. Clients who focus on this role keep their system successful permanently. It is the most important investment in the system, and one that pays dividends every business day.