How do you assess readiness gaps before ERP implementation?

1 Define your ERP vision and goals

The first step to assess your readiness gaps is to define your ERP vision and goals. What are the main reasons and benefits of implementing ERP in your organization? How will ERP support your strategic objectives and competitive advantage? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that you will use to measure the success of ERP implementation? By clarifying your ERP vision and goals, you can align your stakeholders, communicate your expectations, and set the direction for your ERP project.

2 Conduct a current state analysis

The next step is to conduct a current state analysis of your organization. This involves collecting and reviewing data about your existing business processes, systems, data, and resources. You can use various methods, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, observations, and documentation analysis, to gather this information. The purpose of this analysis is to understand your current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), as well as your pain points, challenges, and risks. This will help you identify the areas that need improvement and change.

3 Identify your ERP requirements and gaps

Based on your current state analysis and your ERP vision and goals, you can identify your ERP requirements and gaps. Your ERP requirements are the features and functions that you need from your ERP system to meet your business needs and expectations. Your ERP gaps are the discrepancies between your current state and your ERP requirements. For example, you may have a gap in data quality, process efficiency, user skills, or system integration. You can use a gap analysis matrix or a gap analysis report to document and prioritize your ERP requirements and gaps.

4 Develop a gap closure plan

The final step in preparing for ERP implementation is to develop a gap closure plan that outlines how to address ERP gaps. This plan should include the scope and objectives of gap closure activities, the roles and responsibilities of the gap closure team, the timeline and budget of the project, potential risks and issues, strategies and actions to close each gap, expected outcomes and benefits, and alignment with ERP vision and goals. It's important to monitor and evaluate progress regularly and make adjustments as needed. Following these steps will help assess readiness gaps before ERP implementation and ensure a solid foundation for a successful project.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?