Five Tips for a successful ERP

Implementation
Posted on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 by Claudius Sithole

I have completed more than a hundred ERP implementations throughout my career – and have
had countless victories and losses. I would like to offer the following tips to help you achieve a
successful implementation.

1) Management Involvement

Despite the temptation to keep it hands-off, management should take an active part in the
implementation projects. Where possible we recommend having a project team which includes
members of senior management. This will not only assist in staff sticking to deadlines but it will
also help with decision making to keep the project moving.

2) Communication

Make sure everyone within the project team is kept up to date with the progress of the project. If
possible, schedule a date to give a progress update on a weekly basis. The biggest mistake
organisations make when implementing IT Projects is that users find out about the project on go-
live date. This can be avoided through simple communication from the first day of the project
and throughout its progress.

3) Focus on Main Business Processes First

One of the major causes of project failure is scope creep. Make sure you don’t get side tracked
by trivial processes that some business users introduce. Focus on the critical business processes
then build exceptions. Identify the critical success factors of the project and make sure they are
sorted.

4) Testing is important

The biggest mistake that most businesses make is not allocating enough time for internal users to
do testing and leaving it all to the IT Consultants. Make sure you allocate enough time for
adequate user testing. This will save you time and money when the system goes live. User
Acceptance Testing (UAT) can often reduce overall project cost by avoiding surprises. Make
sure you allocate time for employees to test effectively, this will help your business realise the
advantages of the new system soon after the implementation is completed.

5) Training

Training could be considered the key part of a successful implementation and ongoing use of the
system. That is why you should never take shortcuts as far as training is concerned. We
recommend having a team of key staff members (champions) who are effectively trained and are
on hand to support fellow users when questions arise. An effective training system can raise
morale among users and reduce resistance to change especially when implementing a new
system.

If you are about to embark on an ERP implementation and would like to discuss our services and
methodologies, Contact Us at Eagle360 Consulting.