ERP Software Implementation Checklist | What you need to know

ERP Software Implementation Checklist – What you need to know

Implementing ERP solutions is a crucial task in itself. Enterprises invest their hard-earned money and resources along with time and expect positive ROI in return. Sometimes enterprises are going to step ahead and hire a third-party ERP consultant who acts as a medium between the ERP vendor and the enterprise. However, most of the time, enterprises hand over this responsibility to the IT department of the company or an IT expert employee.

In both the scenarios, it is suggested to have clarity before making any purchase, especially like ERP which is going to impact your business inside out. Making a checklist is helpful.

Here is what you can consider while preparing a checklist:

Have a roll-out strategy

Before you start with the implementation, it is better to set the Go–Live date, and the team must work to meet the targets and dates. Enterprises sometimes roll out an ERP software in one go across the organization or sometimes they refer to implement them step by step, department by department, or branch wise, etc. In the second case, it is important to have clear go-live dates and every concerned staff must be aware of it. If any staff, department, or branch requires training, it has to be done in advance.

Use the test environment to the fullest

When the enterprise is running a test environment, it must test hardware, network, and the interface, where the solution will be implemented. Small size unit testing like dashboard and reports should be done for all sizes of data and types of data.

Backup – Apart from testing the data, it is important to prepare for the backup too. Backups are a crucial part of ERP implementation and running. Know how much time and resource would be needed to complete the backup process

Workflow- Workflow testing in terms of the process flow and the map is required. It is important to decide the user rights viewing right and their approval, etc in advance.

Training

ERP implementation will work wonders if the concerned staff is trained. By the end of the training schedule the staff must:

• Have the Software knowledge
• Understand the navigation in the system
• Taking backups
• Customer communication.
• Preparing, importing, and exporting reports, etc.

Readiness

Now that the strategy roll-out is prepared, testing and workflow checks are completed, training is scheduled, and communication is set up, it is time for the readiness of the existing software, machines, and people. Check the server, internet, ISP connection, etc.

Check if the staff is ready with the unique user ID and other details important for their access to ERP. If the staff is ready to handle customer calls through coordinator online routes, etc. Most of all, check if all the queries of the staff are resolved and the confidence level is positive enough to make an ERP live.

Once the implementation is done, some things need to be done post-go-live phase.

Check if the users are comfortable with the software. Are they able to perform functions with ease? Are they accepting the change? Identify the loopholes if any and plan other training schedules. By now, you have data incoming to the system, and flowing to the subsequent departments in real-time. Check the ease of navigation too. The core objective is to make the work smoother and easier and not to complicate it.

You have to make the application run by maintaining it well, and by having a secure and reliable internet connection.

Make sure your vendor is providing uninterrupted customer service, in case of any fault, damage, or doubt, connect with the vendor and get it cleared.

Now that the ERP software is live, running, your job is to ensure it runs smoothly and does its job well, ultimately going high ROI and customer satisfaction.