We’ve been talking a lot about ERP systems and ERP implementations, and now you know that the benefits of implementing an ERP system are numerous and that your company would undoubtedly profit from making the change. We also know that ERP implementations are no small undertaking – they take a long time, require a lot of work, and cost a lot of money.
So now what?
There really is no correct route for implementing an ERP, but again, based on much research – comparing successful implementations to failed implementations – there is a general idea of stages.
As with the mistakes, the magic number in implementation planning seems to be 6:
1) Research and Selection
You’ve hopefully read our blog or downloaded our ebook about 6 Mistakes to Avoid When Implementing
ERP Software. If you have, you know what you should be doing to facilitate a successful ERP implementation. This is the stage where you do your research, choose your vendor, build your implementation team, and are ready to officially start the implementation. Congratulations!
2) Planning and Designing
In this stage you’ll ask questions such as these:
- Which of our current procedures do we want the ERP system to absorb/streamline/replace?
- Does any of our existing software integrate with the new system? If so, do we want to keep it and integrate it?
- Will we need to purchase add-ons or make customizations to make the ERP system fully effective for us?
In this stage, the project team and implementation consultant will work on:
- defining team member roles
- planning and executing configurations
- mapping current business processes
In this stage you should also create a rough calendar. It is impossible to follow it to the letter, but it cannot hurt to have a schedule – when trainings will occur, which software processes will be implemented and when, when data will be imported, etc.
3) Developing and Analyzing
In this stage, the team will:
- develop and execute user training modules
- finalize the development of the customizations that were agreed upon in the previous stage
- import and analyze data
4) Testing
Stages 3 and 4 will actually overlap and you will alternate between the two for some time.
For example, if you test a customization and it fails, you must return to the development stage in order to fix it.
You must also be continually testing the value of the training you are giving your users. If they are not successfully learning the new system or are frustrated and confused, you must go back and develop new training plans.
One of the biggest and most important steps in the testing stage is a mock go live. You should absolutely do your best to replicate the go live down to the smallest detail and then test it as if it were the real thing.
5) Going Live
If all of your customizations have been made and tested, your data has been imported and tested, and your employees have been trained and are confident that they can work within the new system, there’s only one thing left: going live.
That is, shutting down the old system and completely embracing your new ERP software.
6) Continual Support
Once the ERP system has gone live, it is important that you:
- continue to offer your employees training
- monitor system usage and make adjustments as necessary
- conduct preventive maintenance
- download and install all updates and upgrades
Also remember that ongoing support is something that your ERP vendor absolutely should offer.
