After months of a tightly controlled ERP Implementation, it’s finally time for go live with your new ERP software. How do you ensure you make the most of your new ERP software system?
Follow these 5 best practices to ensure your go live is a “non-event” and your business thrives after your ERP go live!
1. Post-implementation support
Once you go live with your new ERP system, it is critical to the success of introducing the new ERP system into your business to have ongoing support on hand for your project team.
At a minimum, you should plan for one full month of post-implementation support to assist with adapting to new processes, help evaluate the acceptance of the new ERP solution, and document any problems that need to be addressed.
2. Continued communication and post-training
As you work day to day with your new ERP software, you will need a resource to direct your questions to and that should be your project manager. Constant communication will ensure that your team understands what is occurring with the ERP implementation after go live. Your organization will function more efficiently if it is well-informed and if they understand what is occurring.
We recommend meeting with your project implementation team around day 45 of post go-live. During this time, you will review post go-live parking lot items, as well as what’s going right, what challenges you're having, and make sure the software is working exactly as you expected.
3. Measurement of business benefits
Most organizations prepare a business case for an ERP software implementation project. It is important after launch to ensure the original business case is achieved. A performance measurement framework should be established to document expected business benefits as part of the post-implementation review process. This measurement framework should include establishing and measuring KPIs (key performance indicators) for significant business processes to assist the organization in focusing its activities around key value drivers.
4. Continuous improvement
For any organization to grow profitably, it is important to focus on continuous improvement activities. As part of the post-implementation support activities, establishing a business process improvement plan is critical. After all, improving your business is one of the main reasons you chose to invest in an ERP software project.
From custom reports to Help Desk support to customizations, your ERP implementation partner is there to help you grow your business.
5. Organizational alignment and change management
Most ERP software implementations are done without consideration of the impact on the people involved. Unless you work with an implementation partner. An implementation partner will focus on the people, processes and technology to ensure the project is a success.
An implementation partner will help senior management and the project team understand that an ERP implementation is more than just the use of new technology. They take the time to understand your staff and the changes they will experience from the new solution and know that this is a critical element to reaping the benefits of an ERP investment.
By incorporating these “best practices” into your ERP software implementation project, you can survive and thrive with your new investment.
If you or your team are planning to implement a new ERP or have recently implemented an ERP, contact us at Oasis Solutions to objectively evaluate the project. We will provide value by helping you achieve the success you expected and help you grow and thrive with your business. Let's Chat
