The right ERP can transform a company by providing data which wasn’t previously available. In many cases, life before ERP consisted of looking for problems and then figuring out how to solve them. A good example of this is the production meeting, where supervisors and managers sit in a room and go over every job. Most of the meeting is spent looking for problems. Imagine going into the meeting knowing the problems—and starting with possible solutions. That’s what ERP can do. But getting there is a process.
Six steps to implement an ERP
These are the six steps we've developed and refined over the course of many years and hundreds of ERP implementations. By creating six clear steps, everyone can stay focused on the implementation goals. |
Even though choosing the right ERP software and creating a vision of what it will do for you is important, you need a plan on how to move the organization from where you are today to where you want to be—in other words, detailed guidance on how to implement an ERP system step-by-step. ERP implementation requires as much focus as selecting the ERP itself. In fact, I’d argue it requires most of your attention.
Here is the reality of the situation: A company whose staff is well-trained on a less-robust ERP package will outperform a company whose staff is poorly trained on a function-rich ERP system. If the staff is poorly trained, the rich features of the ERP aren’t being used! An old crop duster with a trained pilot can beat a fighter jet in a race if I’m in the cockpit of the fighter jet. I’m not a pilot. I’d get to the finish line quicker on a bike. What you have isn’t as important as what you are trained to use.
There are many methodologies and frameworks out there for ERP implementation. You’ll hear names like ClearFocus, SureStep, or AIM. You might see terms like “cutover,” “training,” “gap analysis,” or “business process mapping.” But underneath the branding, they all follow the same general structure we outlined above.
But here’s an important piece to remember: the six steps above aren’t just a checklist. Each one exists for a reason. ERP software touches every part of your business—finance, operations, inventory, purchasing, sales, and more. That means it involves people from across the organization who may not normally work together. You’re essentially launching a company-wide change initiative.
ERP implementation is a big project. It can be costly, it takes time, and the stakes are high. If you skip steps or rush through them, your implementation will suffer. And that’s not just our opinion—it’s backed up by decades of industry data and experience.
Our eBook ClearFocus—6 Steps to Successfully Implement ERP (available here) was written to give you a clear idea of how an implementation process should look. Once you have a basic understanding of that, you can more accurately judge the plans presented to you by potential ERP vendors.
If you’d like to discuss ERP implementation in more detail, all you need to do is let me know. I’m happy to help.