ERP IMPLEMENTATION

CHECKLIST
Over 120 actionable steps to a successful and efficient ERP implementation

GUIDE HIGHLIGHTS

Planning your ERP

Tips on going live, user

Evaluating your ERP

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 INDEX
This checklist breaks down your ERP
implementation into manageable steps across the
following categories

3
Create a change management plan

5
Recruit an ERP implementation team

7
Migrate your ERP data and train users

9
Start your ERP go-live process

10
Evaluate the success of your ERP implementation

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 CREATE A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Whether you’re upgrading a legacy system or rolling out your company’s first ERP, the potential
impact on the lives of your workforce is huge.

There’s nothing people dislike more than unexpected, unwanted or poorly-managed change, which
is why it is essential that you develop a strong communication strategy and training plan before
implementing your new ERP. This will ensure the process runs smoothly and increase user buy-in
to the system in the long term.

CREATE A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Clarify what implementation support your vendor is giving you

Project management

Customization

Data migration

Consultancy

Training

Forecast implementation costs and create an ERP implementation budget

Vendor implementation services

Third-party consultancy

Temporary staff during roll-out

Operations

Shop floor

Administrative

Staff overtime during implementation

Data backup and storage

Identify metrics by which to measure ERP implementation success

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 Create a timeline for completing the following steps:

Data migration

User training

Testing

On-the-day go-live activities

CREATE A USER ENGAGEMENT PLAN

Anticipate disruption to everyday activities and let affected employee groups know

Signpost ways in which staff can raise questions or concerns about your new ERP

Create a user training timetable and inform staff of when their slots are in advance

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 RECRUIT AN ERP IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

For your project to be a success, you need the right people around you to make it happen. A well-
balanced implementation team should have the right mix of technical and managerial input to get
things done efficiently, and should also be representative of key stakeholder needs across your
organization.

RECRUIT YOUR ERP IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

Map out your implementation team requirements:

Managerial requirements

Technical requirements

Representation requirements

Offer incentives for membership of implementation team and promote them company-wide

Recruit your team:

Recruit technical specialists

Recruit managerial positions

Recruit representatives for key user groups

(Optional) hire third party consultant:

Shortlist candidates

Interview and ask for references

Hire and onboard your consultant

Get budgetary sign off

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM CHECKLIST

Managerial

Project manager

C-level sponsor

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 Technical

Application analyst

Application developer

Application test engineer

Consultancy

Third-party consultant OR

Vendor consultant

User group representatives

Shop floor

Engineering

Warehouse

Sales

HR

Supply chain/logistics

Senior management

Heads of department

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 MIGRATE YOUR LEGACY ERP DATA AND TRAIN USERS

CLEANSE AND MIGRATE YOUR LEGACY DATA

Before your staff can start using the new ERP system, you need to migrate your data from your
legacy system. It makes sense to ensure it is all up-to-date and accurate whilst doing so - there’s no
point transferring redundant information as this will just clog up your new ERP and increase chance
of error (if you have out-of-date customer addresses saved in your system

CLEANSE AND MIGRATE YOUR LEGACY ERP DATA

Cleanse and verify your data:

Ensure customer contact details are correct

Cleanse redundant internal data, e.g out-of-date product designs and employee info

Cleanse redundant external data, e.g old supplier addresses and customer contacts

Configure your databases

Map legacy data to new database fields

Transfer data to the new system

Test and verify legacy data

Test and verify new data inputs, for example:

Inventory data (item location, stock)

Production data (order volume, parts required, estimated completion date)

Sales data (customer contact, history of orders)

HCM data (payroll information, employee benefits)

TRAIN YOUR MANUFACTURING ERP USERS

User training is essential in encouraging your workforce to engage with your new ERP and not fall
back on the legacy system or develop workarounds. You can only realize the full potential of an ERP
system if people are using it, after all - and without adequate training this is hard to do!

We mentioned coming up with a user training plan in the ‘change management’ section of this
checklist above - here’s a little more detail.

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 CREATE AN ERP TRAINING PLAN

Decide which type of training suits your workforce best (e.g e-learning modules for office-
based workforces, scheduled seminars for shop floor workers)

Identify potential super user candidates and train them to assist with troubleshooting

Identify key user groups that need training

Create your training schedule

Decide on deadline for completion of e-learning modules

(OPTIONAL) promote gamified incentives for completion of training

Decide where face-to-face training will take place

Create training schedule for face-to-face training

KEY ERP USER GROUPS CHECKLIST

Senior management

Department managers

Accounting and finance

Engineers

CAD designers

Shop floor workers

Warehouse staff

Supply chain workers

Sales team

HR staff

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 START YOUR ERP GO-LIVE PROCESS

There’s one key secret to a successful go-live: planning.

You’ll probably have done some of this already - your users are trained on the new system, your
data is ready and you have the resources ready to carry through your implementation.

Still, the go-live requires a level of organization above all of this, because to put it bluntly, things will
seem a little chaotic until it’s over. Whilst your systems are down, it’s essential that you know who’s
doing what, when they plan on doing it and who to contact when issues arise.

Make sure to communicate any plans to the wider workforce as well as to your implementation
team - if their activities are affected during any downtime, they need to know.

ERP GO-LIVE CHECKLIST

Conduct pre go-live software tests:

Integration testing (eg WMS, PLM, SCM)

Functional testing

System testing

Stress testing

Performance testing

Usability testing with key user groups

Acceptance testing with key user groups - see above

Create a communication plan for on-the-day go-live activities during system downtime

Create and schedule data backup processes

Schedule:

Staff overtime

Temporary staff hours

Network speed and reliability checks

Create plan for evaluating success of ERP implementation project

Conduct post go-live software tests

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 EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ERP IMPLEMENTATION

Unless you’ve made a terrible selection choice or you’ve somehow managed to set everything on
fire, you probably won’t need to implement another ERP for a while. You still need to evaluate your
project, as this will help you make adjustments and identify if you’re on track for a positive ROI.

Try to see this as an ongoing process. Your business won’t stand still, so neither should your ERP.

TO CONSIDER IMMEDIATELY POST IMPLEMENTATION

Was your implementation within budget?

Was your implementation within schedule?

Did you have all the resources we needed to complete the project effectively? If not:

Where were there gaps?

How could you fill them?

What went well?

What went wrong, and how can you learn from it?

Are key user groups embracing the new ERP? If not:

Why not?

What is the best way to deliver refresher training?

TO MONITOR CONTINUOUSLY POST IMPLEMENTATION

Have productivity levels increased?

Has client satisfaction increased?

Is human error decreasing (e.g shipment errors, wrong due-date)?

Is your new ERP producing a positive ROI? If so, how many months post-implementation?

Are staff continuing to use the ERP as designed or are they developing workarounds? Consider:

Why not?

What is the best way to deliver refresher training?

Do you need any extra functionality? If so, when should you plan on adding it?

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 This guide was written by Rick Carlton and Tom Millers, ERP Focus columnists, with
contributions from Kathryn Beeson, ERP Focus Editor

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This guide was brought to you by www.erpfocus.com

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