Dedicated project manager
One point of contact for everything to do with the project, who knows your organization and doesn't change halfway through.
Planning and timelines
Milestones, owners and dates, including the dependencies that usually surface too late.
Team and vendor coordination
Managing the interface between internal teams and external vendors, so no task falls between them.
Budget and change control
Budget tracking and orderly management of the changes that always come up midway, with a conscious decision on each one.
QA testing
Before every release, against real scenarios and not just the spec — including what happens when something fails.
Training & support
Training the teams who will actually work with the system, and support in the first weeks until using it becomes routine.