Utilizing a global mindset, Yaffa specializes in large, complex, multi-site, multi-country rollouts, encompassing a worldwide perspective. Yaffa's leadership experience across North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East enables her to diplomatically manage the most challenging of technical project issues, resource constraints, and cultural differences.
Yaffa brings invaluable expertise and knowledge to companies who are considering an ERP transformation, are in the midst of an ERP implementation, or require stabilization and optimization post-go-live. With a strong focus on timely communication strategies, robust change management, and the ability to identify potential project pitfalls and risks, Yaffa serves as a valuable resource and reliable counsel.
Yaffa tailors the client engagement process to accommodate the distinctive requirements of each client, irrespective of the current stage in their ERP journey. Through a process that includes gaining insight into the state of a client’s implementation and assessing the project scope with an end-to-end architecture review, Yaffa is able to provide a plan and, together with client leadership, navigate the project while aligning with guiding principles.
Tailored consulting and advisory services provide valuable guidance and expertise to leadership in ERP projects. These services offer customized strategies, best practices, and insights specific to the organization's needs, enabling informed decision-making, risk mitigation, and successful project execution. They help leaders navigate complexities and optimize ERP implementation for optimal business outcomes.
Areas of expertise:
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Executive Alignment
Executive Alignment in an ERP project is crucial for success. It involves aligning goals to drive project outcomes, defining project scope to avoid scope creep, establishing a realistic timeline, allocating budget appropriately, clarifying RACI roles for accountability, and organizing teams through an effective organization chart for streamlined communication and collaboration.
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Operational &
Technical ReadinessOperational and technical readiness is vital in an ERP project. It involves mapping process flows, identifying gaps and pain points, developing standard operating procedures, ensuring seamless end-to-end architecture, and maintaining accurate and consistent master data for a successful ERP implementation.
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Change Management
Change Management readiness is paramount in an ERP project. It involves preparing stakeholders for organizational change, creating awareness, fostering buy-in, conducting training, and providing ongoing support. Effective Change Management ensures a smooth transition, minimizes resistance, and maximizes user adoption, leading to successful ERP implementation and long-term benefits.
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Project Governance &
& PMOProject Governance and PMO readiness are essential for an ERP project's success. It includes identifying risks, managing issues, tracking action items, making informed decisions, establishing a robust communication plan, and implementing effective escalation management to ensure efficient project execution and proactive problem-solving throughout the project lifecycle.
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Vendor Selection
& ManagementVendor Selection readiness in ERP software implementation is crucial. It entails comprehensive risk management, understanding dos and don'ts, evaluating vendor expertise, aligning project resources, and ensuring compatibility with the chosen implementation methodology. A well-prepared approach ensures a successful selection process and sets the foundation for a smooth software implementation journey.
“Yaffa has an immense amount of common sense and experience that allows her to simplify and handle any situation without any difficulties. Yaffa is very objective and cuts to the chase.”
“Yaffa led our ERP implementation team as a PMO, when we worked together at Max Finkelstein. She was widely recognized across the company as a PMO expert. Yaffa is a very bright, experienced, knowledgeable and quick-thinking professional. She has a “can do” attitude and facilitates all challenges that are put in front of her with professionalism. She has an immense amount of common sense and experience that allows her to simplify and handle any situation without any difficulties. Yaffa is very objective and cuts to the chase which enables her team and business partners to be very effective in the workplace.”
George Alexandrou | CIO | Max Finkelstein
“Yaffa's integrity and commitment to delivering a quality product is unparalleled.”
“Over the course of my career I’ve been fortunate to work with many great people, but there are a few folks who truly stand out as gems. Yaffa is one of them. I had the pleasure of working with Yaffa during a recent ERP implementation and one thing I noticed very quickly was how she always seemed to bring out the best in the people she interacted with. Whether helping to gather requirements from subject matter experts, managing expectations with key stakeholders, or negotiating deliverables with implementers, Yaffa was able to effortlessly and efficiently drive the conversation toward a productive end. She asks incisive questions and helps craft useful solutions. Her integrity and commitment to delivering a quality product is unparalleled. If presented with the opportunity, I would jump at the chance to work with Yaffa again.”
Ilias Fountoukidis | Finance Executive | Max Finkelstein
“Yaffa masterfully navigated the many different points of view and input of business stakeholders”
“Yaffa masterfully navigated the many different points of view and input of business stakeholders”
“Yaffa came to us highly recommended when we reached out to industry experts asking for a “Ninja” to help us optimize and overcome some challenges with our Netsuite implementation. Yaffa was able to rapidly assess the situation and build a plan to optimize our environment. She focused in on the core underlying root causes to challenges we were having and recommended solutions to address these areas. Yaffa masterfully navigated the many different points of view and input of business stakeholders to help us both build a prioritized project plan and put in place the right resources to execute that plan. Yaffa has become a trusted partner of ours and highly respected at HumanN. She is thorough, dependable, honest, and a master of her craft.”
Adam Stroud | Senior Marketing Technology Leader & Consultant | HumanN
“Yaffa is genuine and has both personal and professional integrity”
“Yaffa is truly a ‘fixer’, she has the commanding personality and presence needed to accomplish the hard tasks. She helped us though some very hard times and produced amazing results. She is genuine and has both personal and professional integrity. Any company lucky enough to have her on their side will gain great benefit and value. She has my highest endorsement and respect.”
Roman Bulkiewicz | Senior IT Leader | HumanN
“Yaffa is professional, diligent, possesses excellent project management skills and displays strong managerial courage to call out challenging issues and provide well thought out solutions.”
“Yaffa Rabkin and her team at Rabkin Professional Services are top notch business partners. Yaffa came to our team via several very strong recommendations in the Netsuite ecosystem. She quickly onboarded and took charge of our long complex project to streamline and optimize our ERP system. She is professional, diligent, possesses excellent project management skills and displays strong managerial courage to call out challenging issues and provide well thought out solutions.”
Steve Nee | Senior Vice President | Thrasio
“Extraordinary ability to diplomatically manage the most challenging of technical project issues, cultural differences, and resourcing challenges throughout the project. ”
“Yaffa was the key in the orchestration of our largest and most successful global IT project to date; an Italian and US website migration to Salesforce Commerce Cloud involving over 50 technical integrations, 10+ external vendors, as well as a global, cross functional internal team.
Yaffa’s strong attention to detail, ability to clearly and succinctly communicate executive updates combined with knowledge and expertise in both the business and technical side of implementations were great assets to our team. We affectionately call her “the puppet master” because of her extraordinary ability to diplomatically manage the most challenging of technical project issues, cultural differences, and resourcing challenges throughout the project.”
Maureen Badura | Sr. eCommerce Manager | illy Café
“Yaffa is at the top of her field. ”
“Yaffa is at the top of her field. ”
“Yaffa is at the top of her field. She brought an ease and clarity to our project that was much appreciated. She has built a team both internally and through partners that are able to provide extensive knowledge and resources for any implementation.”
Casey O’Connell | Operations & Technology Leader | JFFD
“Dynamic, competent, caring and pragmatic.”
“Dynamic, competent, caring and pragmatic. These four attributes described Yaffa during our time together. Working alongside Yaffa in a virtual environment while navigating multiple times zones helped me appreciate the power of a true professional. Superbly organized, a good listener and fun to work with. Highly recommend Yaffa and her team!”
Eva M | C-Suite Advisor | JFFD
“Yaffa has the rare ability to recognize when a style isn’t working, amend it and have her own metamorphosis optimize the project plan”
“Yaffa has the rare ability to recognize when a style isn’t working, amend it and have her own metamorphosis optimize the project plan”
“Technical details aside, the measure of a great project manager is their ability to amend their own style to work effectively with others. Most PM’s pigeon hole and confine into a structure they deem necessary, Yaffa has the rare ability to recognize when a style isn’t working, amend it and have her own metamorphosis optimize the project plan. It was a rare pleasure to observe. Yaffa is as good as they come. Firm but not forceful and is able get to the heart of the matter, identify solutions and critically get to action points. I’d recommend her to anyone!”
David Reid | CFO | Boll and Branch
“Truly a “Rock Star” in her ability to navigate through complex topics”
“Truly a “Rock Star” in her ability to navigate through complex topics”“Yaffa has helped Crown Awards identify, validate, quantify and realize several large complex projects. Truly a “Rock Star” in her ability to navigate through complex topics, drive project team members forward while still delivering within aggressive timelines.”
Elyse Weisenfeld | COO | Crown Awards
“Her ability to quickly zone in on our needs, develop recommendations and an approach grounded in strategy and benefit to our business was invaluable throughout ”
“Her ability to quickly zone in on our needs, develop recommendations and an approach grounded in strategy and benefit to our business was invaluable throughout ”
“Yaffa was amazing to work with, bringing in both broad and deep expertise and a team of subject matter experts to support our initiative. Her ability to quickly zone in on our needs, develop recommendations and an approach grounded in strategy and benefit to our business was invaluable throughout.”
Lisa Gladstone | Senior Product and Delivery Manager | Initium, Sears Canada
“Yaffa consistently follows up, and follows through, in the toughest and most demanding of situations, and will always go the extra mile to ensure a successful project”
“Yaffa consistently follows up, and follows through, in the toughest and most demanding of situations, and will always go the extra mile to ensure a successful project”“The in-depth industry experience and cross vertical knowledge that Yaffa brings to the table directly correlates to the success of each project. All project team members, whether onshore or offshore, recognize Yaffa’s considerable expertise, and quickly learn that they can rely on her professionalism and communication skills to ensure the success of a project. Yaffa is personable, detail oriented, and knowledgeable. She consistently follows up, and follows through, in the toughest and most demanding of situations, and will always go the extra mile to ensure a successful project.”
Nicolas Cano | Partner | Strongpoint
“Detailed oriented and is an excellent communicator”
“Yaffa has the ability to gain the trust and confidence of the client. Whether she is working in the role as project manager or solution architect, the client trusts her recommendations which lays the foundation for a successful project. She is very detailed oriented and is an excellent communicator.”
Herb Joseph | CEO | eMerge
“Yaffa is thoughtful, insightful, disciplined, consistent and an expert in all aspects of project management ”
“Yaffa is thoughtful, insightful, disciplined, consistent and an expert in all aspects of project management. Her team spirit and direct approach, coupled with having the respect of her NetSuite peers, both internal and external made her a real asset”
Nancy Fritze | eCommerce Project Manager | Maclaren
“Yaffa is an experienced and intelligent Project/Program Manager.”
“Yaffa is an experienced and intelligent Project/Program Manager.”
“Yaffa is an experienced and intelligent Project/Program Manager. She is a delight to work with. Her project management skills are great and when she is in charge you don’t have to worry about quality and budget. She is also relational and the customers enjoy working with her too! Any company would be lucky to have her.”
Amy Hipshman Amamou | Partner | Cumula3
“Yaffa’s ability to organize and keep a complex project moving in the right direction is second to none”
“Yaffa’s ability to organize and keep a complex project moving in the right direction is second to none ! She is a pleasure to work with and brings high integrity to any customer relationship.”
Joe Giegerich | Partner | Horizon Associates Group
“Yaffa is able to quickly identify complex issues and architect solutions that meet the business’s needs”
“Yaffa delivers quality deliverables in her work and has earned a very high level of respect with both internal teams as well as NetSuite Clients. Yaffa has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the client and to the internal team she works with. She possesses strong communication skills and works well with all levels of management. She is able to quickly identify complex issues and architect solutions that meet the business’s needs.”
Jay Clark | NetSuite Senior Manager | Accenture
“Yaffa knows what to do and when to do it and is clearly in charge”
“Yaffa was extremely competent and professional in a difficult ERP implementation project plagued by high turnover, specification difficulties, diverse agendas, multiple complex vendors, and challenging personalities. These are the kinds of projects you measure a PM by – not the easy ones where everyone has the same agenda and endgame view. As an outside consultant, this is all the more difficult but Yaffa never wavered from leveraging her superior knowledge of the PMBOK – Strategic, Tactical, Triage. She knows what to do and when to do it and is clearly in charge. Yaffa can handle a Board as well as a Line Item workgroup and make them both feel she is at their level. Her professional demeanor is one we should strive for.”
Mark North | CTO | Zachys
Yaffa specializes in delivering top-notch solutions to businesses engaged in multiple industries and sectors.
Manufacturing
Retail
Fashion and apparel
Software and IT
Professional Services
Wholesale Distribution
Media and Publishing
Food and Beverage
Construction
Transportation
Waste Management
Automotive
Biotechnology
Telecommunications
Insurance Sectors
B2B
B2C
