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 optimal ERP project management, it is advisable to follow the following 4 steps.

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An audit of the organization to write the specifications

This phase, which is crucial to the success of the ERP project, consists of several steps:

  • Creation of a project team, composed of 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 inventory confirms the usefulness of setting up an ERP.
  • 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

It is possible to decide first on an editor, then to look for the functional consultants who will assist the project team or to choose the integrator first, then the solution. In all cases, the deployment mode must be defined from the outset, at both the technical and strategic levels:

  • 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 is chosen, several steps follow before the ERP is widely used:

  • installation of the software package on the servers,
  • recovery of the company’s data, which are migrated to the ERP base,
  • parameterization and testing: depending on the end-users’ feedback, it is possible to add or modify some features,
  • User training: “key users” or ERP consultants train all employees in the software package.

The evolution of the integrated management software package

Knowing that an ERP will be used for an average of 10 years, it will undergo several types of modifications:

  • updates or upgrades, provided by the integrator and/or the editor in order to correct possible problems or to adapt to functional or legal evolutions..,
  • integrations with innovative technologies, such as collaborative platforms, added features and/or modules,
  • Adding users and rights to adapt to user changes and internal changes in employees.

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.

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