How do you minimize risk when upgrading to a new ERP?

Evaluating an ERP before upgrading is vital. Firstly, assess the existing system's functionality, user experience, integration capabilities, customizations, and scalability. Align the new ERP with your business goals, like future growth and tech requirements. The new system should offer efficiency, support informed decision-making, and yield a positive ROI. Define your scope, set a realistic budget considering all costs, and create a practical timeline. Crucially, involve end users, managers, and IT staff in the evaluation. Their insights will guide a successful upgrade, ensuring alignment with both present and future needs.

Assessing your current ERP is a crucial step in determining whether your organization is ready for a new ERP platform. In y experience one of the large public sector institution moved from SAP to Oracle and spent millions and have basically backfired the decision. To evaluate if your company needs a new ERP solution, you should consider the following factors: - Industry-specific requirements - Reporting - Productivity - Future proofing

In addition, extensive Change Management is crucial throughout an ERP project. Select an experienced Change manager who understands the complexities of ERP projects, the related implications for the organisation and can work collaboratively with your team. Support is required for all direct and indirectly impacted stakeholders as well as the team that is responsible for delivery. A customized approach to Change Management is needed as there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to managing change. CM should be applied from inception to post go-live when the business adopts the change and are navigating their way through the issues, since go-lives never go exactly according to plan and oversight to manage adoption is required.

I mostly work on implementations in small businesses (from an American perspective), which in my country are actually medium-sized businesses. One of the most important things for the success of the project is the unreserved support of the management. The management of the company should be initially involved in defining the project's objectives. Later, regular and frequent (at least once a week) status meetings should be held, where the status of the project will be jointly monitored and joint decisions will be made if unplanned situations arise.

As per my experience, selecting the right ERP solution that can cater to the current and future business requirements, ensuring data accuracy during migration, rigorous testing, comprehensive training, User feedback and change management, and phase wise implementation, helps in a month and secure ERP upgrade.

In my experience of managing multiple ERP implementations, success of each implementation extensively depends on minimum customisation. SAP, oracle etc companies have provided these package to most of the industry segments so they know what base product is required for each industry. I have always questioned any customisation need and more often found that people do not want to change there current process and also they cannot articulate clearly what advantages they have in their current process vs new standard process to be implemented. So my mantra has been minimum customisation and extensive change management and employee/ expert training and engagement

Ensuring a smooth ERP upgrade hinges on meticulous data and infrastructure preparation. Begin with data cleansing to remove inconsistencies, followed by mapping to align old and new system structures. Conduct pilot migration tests to preempt issues. On the infrastructure side, confirm system compatibility and ensure scalability for future growth. Amplify security measures for data protection and optimize for performance, possibly needing hardware upgrades. Establish a training environment for hands-on staff familiarization. Continuous vendor communication is pivotal for product-specific guidance. Aim for a transition that's not just successful, but also seamless and forward-thinking.

This is your chance to get rid of garbage! While trying to identify the data that you want to convert also identify that which you don’t want to. There should be concentrated effort to exclude it from conversion. Cleaner data in the new system will reduce the load and improve the output from analytics.

Migration & Cut over strategy must be discussed early in the process to avoid surprises. Extraction, mapping and loading stages are well documented with multiple iterations of sample data. Understand existing integration & data flow. Many times ERP transactional data are used in multiple dashboards and reports for day to day operations. Generally these changes are ignored in ERP upgrade projects.

Decision to go for a new ERP means it should give more functionality then existing one and it should have been evaluated during the decision making process. Before transition itself it is better to replicate and back up the current system. If needed all the users also should be properly informed about the new system and timelines and should be trained before the transition itself if possible. During transition a modular approach should be taken by using agile sprints and it should have through testing by end users after each sprint deliverable. After full transition both systems should run in parallel for some time before retiring the old one.

Training users and stakeholders should start well before go-live, with exposure to the new system starting as early as the requirements-gathering phase for key users. Additionally, walkthrough sessions (both implementor- and organization-led) provide opportunities for the team to learn basic navigation and to start to understand key process flows within the new system. UAT can also function as a training mechanism, as it requires that users get hands-on to validate functionality and configuration. Leveraging these implementation milestones as training opportunities gives teams time to develop internal expertise ahead of formal training and improves user adoption.

Training users and stakeholders is pivotal for a successful ERP upgrade. The system's efficacy relies on user proficiency. Customizing training to fit diverse roles and learning styles ensures optimal system use. Providing clear documentation aids as a vital reference, while feedback mechanisms help address challenges promptly. Regular communication keeps users aligned, manages expectations, and underscores the upgrade's purpose. In essence, blending proficient training with continuous dialogue minimizes risks and fosters seamless system adoption.

Training your users and stakeholders is a critical component of successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. It ensures that everyone involved can effectively utilize the ERP system. Start by assessing their skill levels and tailoring training programs accordingly. Engage them in hands-on sessions to familiarize them with the software's features and functionalities. Provide ongoing support and resources to address their concerns and questions. Regular training updates are essential to keep users and stakeholders aligned with system changes and improvements. This investment in training ultimately leads to improved productivity, better decision-making, and a more successful ERP implementation.

In my current role I quickly came to the conclusion, that it is important to train the users before the implementation, but just as important to keep training the users after the implementation and making it easy for them to get support and knowledge.

Start with thorough planning, analyzing current system strengths and weaknesses, and defining clear objectives. Choose the right ERP vendor and version aligned with your needs. Assess and clean data, create a robust migration plan, and ensure data backup. Rigorous testing, including unit, integration, and user acceptance testing, uncovers and resolves issues early. Implement change management to prepare employees and provide training. Backup and disaster recovery protect data integrity. Consider phased rollout, strong governance, documentation, and knowledge transfer. Prepare contingency plans and user support. Conduct a post-upgrade evaluation to refine the system, reducing risks for a successful ERP upgrade.

Testing and validating a new ERP is fundamental. I fully concur that diverse testing phases, from unit to stress testing, ensure that the system aligns with specified needs. User involvement in testing is pivotal; they're the eventual system users, and their feedback can spotlight issues overlooked in earlier phases. However, I'd stress the importance of also having a rollback plan, not just a contingency for errors. This ensures that, in worst-case scenarios, operations can revert to the previous state without extensive disruptions. Consistent, thorough testing, combined with effective planning, safeguards both the transition and the organization's operations.

Migrating to a new ERP is a mostly a necessity due to upgrades, new features & interface, MIS dashboards & infrastructure related developments. ERP requires: 1. Commitment of top management 2. Choice of the best IP 3. Preparation by Core team of Domain/IT experts 4. Reasoned process documentation with Management buyin including migration strategy. 5. Proper change management for workforce. Strong power user team closely involved during testing & training. 6. Support during go-live/transition. For above it is imperative that Core team is Knowledgable, Competent & Driven as organization efficiency/effectiveness will depend on design & implementation. Lastly, it is critical to develop a CoE with ABAP/Config experts for each module.

When testing and validating the ERP system, I think it is a great idea to keep all old systems running and also keep a fail-over approach so in case of critical errors there can be a rollback to the old system/architecture

Embedded latest trends in Testing such as Testing Framework, Shift Left, Early Automation, CICD pipes when it comes to both Functional and Non-Functional Testing. Another critical element is leveraging tools (Functional and non-functional) for Early Automation.

Taking the time to know what the test will be, as well as the expected results will allow users (and support staff) to confirm improvements in the software. In my past, examining the answer (results) is very valuable.

Monitoring and optimizing post-ERP launch is paramount. I agree that gathering metrics on system functionality and user adaptation provides valuable insights into system efficiency. Addressing issues swiftly ensures operational continuity. However, a point of contention is waiting for issues like user complaints to arise before action. Proactive measures, like scheduled check-ins or training refresher sessions, can preempt many challenges. While feedback is crucial, periodic reviews with ERP vendors can also provide insights into potential system optimizations. In essence, while reactive measures are vital, proactive strategies can lead to smoother long-term ERP operations.

As a part of the project there must be a mechanism to monitor the progress and ensure that the usage is optimized, and the ERP is working as per the expectations as set and their business requirements. Any deviations from the expected behavior should be reported and resolved with the vendor. You would want to ensure there is sufficient post production warranty available to rectify any issues that are caused due to design and build off the ERP.

in all the companies that i have worked with we should start with the basic needs and after that we can make some enhancements, after some experience from the users they became more mature to deal with the system and ask for new and more mature requirements

Staying on top of integrity issues, and data anomalies is critical. You should never assume that everything will work out every time. "Stuff happens" .. from network drops to dual updates, you should always make sure that the header to detail, as well as balance to details files are always in tact.

Too many times I have seen project teams move to the next one without a robust review and evaluation. Measuring actual outcomes often falls to the business without adequate had off of baselines and measurement methodology. Review should also take a hard look at the Parking lot list of initiatives that got shelved during migration that should be budgeted and implemented soon to improve efficiencies.

Develop a road map and commit to the timing in revisiting functionality not used at the time, as well as future upgrades or functionality improvements. Publish to corporate sponsors and business units the updates quarterly. Create a user group within the company with representatives from each business unit (or functional area) to assure training, documentation, support, and software use is as expected.

Reviewing and evaluating an ERP upgrade project is crucial for its success. This entails assessing project goals, budget, timeline, and scope. Conducting a comprehensive analysis of the existing system, identifying pain points, and aligning them with upgrade features is essential. Stakeholder feedback and involvement should be considered to ensure alignment with organizational needs. Testing, training, and risk mitigation strategies must also be reviewed to ensure a seamless transition. Regular progress monitoring and post-implementation evaluation are key for continuous improvement.

In my experience most of the ERP grades come with a lot of "surprises", either missed considerations or unexpected requirements, it's important at the end of the project to evaluate the full effort including the impact of these unexpected findings, it will help not only from a lessons learned perspective but also to plan future projects.

It's very important to keep the expectation on a realistic level. An upgrade it's an improvement on the software. It's not a magical wand that will correct all the errors. From my experience an incomplete or wrong comunication will lead to an increasing frustration from the end-users. So, comunication is vital to show what are the improvements and what, after the upgrade, will remain as an open incident.

In my experience, robust and regular data cleaning is key to minimize data migration time and erp freeze. A detailed cutover plan will also help securing the migration and go live process. Several mock migrations should take place during the project to help refine the migration approach.

ERP systems provide a great value to the supply chain process. They focus on the 'planning' of resources and suppliers. They often do not focus well on the complex nature of a mature Omni channel businesses commercial processes. I do agree expectation setting is key but I also believe you must customize (carefully). I have fought many of IT leaders who felt the mediocre solution, often times very ineffecient solutions of the vendors ERP product we fine because they did not support customization. Those leaders fail to recognize the nature of the end users and their ability to make mistakes regardless of training. They also fail to recognize the 'customer first' nature of the commercial operations.

Additional useful considerations when implementing ERP system like SAP 1. Identify key business drivers you want to achieve and make it a business driven project instead of IT driven project 2. Identify KPIs to measure those business results 3. Ensure you are implementing industry best practices instead of using heavy custom development to mimic your old business processes 4. Focus on Process simplification and automation 5. Take extra efforts to document business processes and prepare thorough training for end users 6. Ensure you have support infrastructure to fix, prevent issues and constantly optimize your ERP with changing business environment

Engaging the end users, creating feedback loops, leveraging a culture that supports change to bottoms up + top down, and tying change to each person affected is a crucial part of reducing risk, increasing adoption and acheiving a fast time to value! People should be at the center.