The different implementation phases of an ERP project

More and more companies are choosing to implement an ERP software in order to benefit from the advantages of this IT solution (centralization and homogenization of information, reliability and traceability of data, time savings…). For a successful IT project and optimum ERP project management, we recommend the following 4 steps.

An audit of the organization to write the specifications

This phase, which is crucial to the success of the ERP project, can be broken down into several stages:

• Creation of a project team, comprising several members and a project manager.
• Analysis of the existing system: to study the current information systems and their modes of use as well as the procedures specific to each department. This assessment confirms the need for an ERP system.
• Definition of needs: the drafting of technical and functional specifications can be done internally or entrusted to an ERP consultant.

The choice of the best adapted ERP solution

• technical: in-house installation, on own remote servers, on third-party servers or on own and third-party servers,
• strategic: “big bang” (all modules start simultaneously), pilot (an entity or a geographical area starts alone to validate the project), incremental (by functional themes), combined (mix of other strategies)

ERP production start-up

Once the software has been chosen, there are several stages before the ERP is widely used:

• installation of the software package on the servers,
• recovery of company data, which is migrated to the ERP database,
• parameterization and testing: based on feedback from end-users, certain functions can be added or modified,
• User training: “key users” or ERP consultants train all employees in the software package.

The evolution of the integrated management software package

Since an ERP system will be in use for an average of 10 years, it will undergo several types of modifications:

• updates or version upgrades, provided by the integrator and/or publisher to correct any problems or to adapt to functional or legal changes, etc,
• integrations with innovative technologies, such as collaborative platforms, and the addition of new functions and/or modules,
• adding users and rights to adapt to user changes and internal employee developments.

It is preferable to choose an ERP after the audit of the organization. Once installed, the software package will evolve according to the corrections and additions of functionalities proposed by the editor and/or the integrator.

Also in our "ERP Finance" section

• ERP software definition: what is an ERP?
• What is the use of an ERP solution for the finance function?
• ERP finance: what do you need to know as a finance manager?
• CFO: what are the advantages of an ERP for the finance function?
• Finance software: which ERP to choose for your company?
• The challenges of a post modern ERP
• Optimize the management of administrative processes with an ERP solution
• Big data, data management, data analytics and ERP: what are we talking about?
• ERP finance: how to ensure data security?
• CFO and CIO: how to implement a successful finance ERP project?
• ERP finance project: who should be involved in the company?
• The different implementation phases of an ERP project