with board approval in hand, the core ERP team lost no time in setting up a structure for the implementation. One of their first acts was to extend Cisco's relationship with KPMG through the end of the implementation. This decision was made based on KPMG's performance though the software selection process, and the firm's continued commitment to staff to the project with its most seasoned personnel.
Proceeding with implementation also meant that the team had to expand from its core 20 member to about 100, representing a cross-section of Cisco's business community. Again, the team sought only the very best for inclusion on the project . One of the rules of engagement for those working on the implementation was that it was short-term in duration and did not represent a career change for those involved. The effort was framed to those who would work on it as a challenge, a " throw down the gauntlet sort of thing " by this time, getting people to work on the team was not a problem. Elazabeth Fee, a implementation team recruit, describes how the assignment was viewed: They hand picked the best and the brightest for this team. To each person it was a career advancement possibility. People did it because it was something different, it was the opportunity.