Any software migration and ERP solution implementation journey has risks at every turn and the less experience the project team has, the more likely it is that the ride will be a bumpy one. Intricate up-front planning and sound management through each of the implementation steps is crucial for a successful system switch and so often in-house led ERP implementation projects fail to hit timeline and budgetary goals due to a lack of preparation and proficiency. Furthermore, the day-to-day running of a business must continue to be the priority and project time can so quickly ebb away when everybody has a full-time job to do.
Can it be executed in house? Certainly. Should it be executed in house? Maybe. Maybe not.
The percentage of businesses that try to go it alone and then fail in one or more ways – budgets spiral, go-live is delayed (more than once) or the deployed system functionality falls short of the mark – is incredibly high. While more often than not they do get there in the end, or in some cases they turn to a partner to finish the job, the question they ultimately ask themselves is ‘how could we have approached the project better?’.
Playing the ERP implementation game alone too often means ‘do not pass go-live’ or ‘do not collect ROI’. So, don’t just roll the dice and hope for the best, use our ERP implementation blueprint below as a ‘get out of jail free’ card.
We understand that the undertaking is substantial and intimidating. However, an experienced project manager, armed with a clear vision, strategy to enthuse and impassion stakeholders and an ERP implementation checklist – such as the one you can find below – will avoid delays and resulting additional costs. Businesses embarking on the journey may choose to reappoint a knowledgeable person to be solely dedicated to managing the project, employ someone new to the business for the role or engage an implementation partner.
No project manager can deliver a successful ERP migration or implementation alone so making roles and responsibilities clear to stakeholders and user groups across the business is a must from the start. Some team members will inevitably embrace change more than others so involving those who champion the benefits of the new system is wise, not least because they then advocate to those who find the process more challenging. Also, the approvals processes should not be overlooked. Ensuring key decision makers are aware of what’s required of them and when is just as important as gaining input and buy-in from system users across departments if you’re to avoid the timeline being affected.
Working with people across the entire business, the project manager must create an in-depth plan and feasible roadmap. Having a clear remit of your requirements and vision is not only the key to meeting objectives and implementing a solution on time and on budget, but also to having a solution that delivers a significant return on investment from the day the system goes live. A comprehensive brief removes risk of ambiguity and means there’ll be no nasty surprises with regards extra requirements halfway through the project.
Your ERP project team – the project manager or managers, departmental managers and solution consultants – should be established to set budgets, timelines and change management plans.
Create actionable and detailed plans for the future deployment of your new ERP solution, including all customisations and apps that deliver the required functionality. It’s also beneficial to develop your training plan at this time.
Preparations for the go-live of your solution now begin, which include the system build, testing, training and data migration. Depending on the project management methodology, there is an element of a rinse-repeat cycle, while each section of the ERP solution is perfected and approved.
The final data migrations are undertaken before the go-live date, which is when the ownership of the software is transferred to the customer. However, the project doesn’t end when the switch to the new system is flipped and a period of hypercare should be offered by an implementation partner. They should be on hand to guide team members and assist with any glitches and queries for some weeks and you may also choose to appoint your partner with an ongoing support remit.
Now you understand the four main elements of an ERP implementation
If you are, we’ve put together the ultimate checklist so you can ensure implementation success every step of the way. Don’t risk rolling the dice on your ERP project – here’s your get out of jail free card to keep your project moving.
If these elements to implementation success already seem daunting, it may be beneficial to partner with external ERP implementation experts. With the experience of hundreds of software implementations, a partner will assign a focused project manager – backed by a team of architecture, coding and data experts – to guide you towards achieving a comprehensive brief and work closely with stakeholders to gain information and drive approvals to a strict timeline. They become an extension of your team and promote a one-team, one-goal approach.
A challenge we so often see businesses facing in the initial stage of a project is them not knowing what the software can truly achieve. Therefore, another benefit of relying on an implementation partner to drive the discovery and ERP planning process is that the specialists will get to understand your business and its goals, identify pain points – both known and unknown to the business – and design the architecture and workflows accordingly.
While it’s likely you won’t have a full list of requirements at first, you should have several topline aims at the ready with which to speak to implementation partners about. We’d recommend liaison with three or more but if you’re not 100 per cent sure of which ERP solution you want to implement, this will increase. Draw upon their expertise to help you make your selection and be confident the software will deliver the return you hope to achieve.
This is also the time to understand the implementation partner’s suggested strategy and processes. What approach is tried and tested? Is a phased methodology more beneficial, whereby financials and sales functionality reach go live more quickly, with other functionality to follow? Will an agile or waterfall project management approach – or combination of the two – be a best fit for your organisation?
Of course, you may not be sure what will work and what won’t so as part of your research and decision making, speak to businesses who have already completed their ERP implementation journey. Any trusted partner will offer you access to their customers so you can gain more information about the successes and pitfalls of a project. This is also a sure-fire way of obtaining valuable advice as even the most effective implementation project will have provided learnings along the way.
As part of this process, you should be seeking a solution partner that has solid experience of your industry and has a wealth of knowledge about the key features you require, but also one that can prove its developers’ bespoke coding and development expertise. No two businesses are the same and the ERP system design and implementation must meet your individual needs, which so very often means augmenting the out-of-the-box offering. Compliance and the evolving regulatory obligations your organisation is affected by should also be discussed and a best-fit partner should allay any concerns.
Having demonstrable experience and agreeable methodology, however, is not the long and short of it. We would recommend any business to also understand who their project team will be because rapport is a priceless component in the overall project delivery machinery. Meet the proposed team, gauge the upcoming relationship buildings process and exercise your honed business instincts to measure if you’re well matched. You will be working closely with these people for weeks, if not months, so don’t underestimate the value of ensuring personalities work in harmony.
Whether you choose to manage the whole ERP implementation process – design, build and deployment – in house or opt to draw on the solution expertise and sector knowledge of a specialist partner, excellent planning, project management and team preparation are the areas to success. The checklist above is a valuable start in creating your more detailed roadmap.
Internal organisational elements like management support, a change management programme and due diligence are crucial in either implementation scenario. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember than an effective and experienced partner will support, guide and build momentum, leaving the company team members to more successfully focus on the day-to-day running of the business.
The most frequent reasons why companies that don’t hit their project timeline milestones are not having the time to fully drive the project, expanding the project scope mid-way through and struggling to prepare clean and accurate data. Therefore, with a sector savvy ERP solution provider at the helm, it’s very likely to make for a smoother, more consistent voyage towards having ultimate visibility and control over your business.
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