How do you secure ERP migration and integration?

1 Assess your current state

Before you start your ERP migration and integration project, you need to have a clear understanding of your current state. This means identifying your existing systems, data sources, workflows, and security policies, and evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You also need to map out your data flows, dependencies, and integrations, and identify any gaps, redundancies, or conflicts. By doing this, you can establish a baseline for your security requirements, objectives, and metrics, and prioritize your critical assets and risks.

2 Choose a suitable ERP platform

The next step is to choose a suitable ERP platform that meets your business needs and security expectations. There are many factors to consider when selecting an ERP platform, such as functionality, scalability, compatibility, cost, and support. However, security should be one of the main criteria, as different ERP platforms have different security features, capabilities, and limitations. You should look for an ERP platform that offers robust encryption, authentication, authorization, auditing, logging, backup, recovery, and patching options, and that complies with the relevant industry standards and regulations.

3 Plan and test your migration and integration strategy

Once you have chosen your ERP platform, you need to plan and test your migration and integration strategy. This means defining your scope, timeline, budget, roles, and responsibilities, and outlining your migration and integration methods, tools, and procedures. You also need to prepare your data, applications, and systems for the migration and integration process, by cleaning, validating, formatting, and backing up your data, and updating, testing, and documenting your applications and systems. Moreover, you need to conduct rigorous testing and verification of your migration and integration results, by checking the accuracy, completeness, consistency, and security of your data, applications, and systems.

4 Implement and monitor your migration and integration process

The final step is to implement and monitor your migration and integration process. This means executing your migration and integration plan according to your predefined schedule, methods, tools, and procedures, and ensuring that your data, applications, and systems are securely transferred and connected to your new ERP platform. You also need to monitor your migration and integration process closely, by tracking the progress, performance, and quality of your migration and integration activities, and detecting and resolving any issues, errors, or anomalies. Furthermore, you need to review and evaluate your migration and integration outcomes, by measuring the achievement of your security requirements, objectives, and metrics, and identifying any lessons learned or improvements needed.

5 Maintain and update your ERP security

Securing your ERP migration and integration is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort. You need to maintain and update your ERP security regularly, by applying the latest security patches, updates, and fixes to your ERP platform, and by reviewing and adjusting your security policies, controls, and procedures. You also need to train and educate your staff, partners, and customers on the best practices and standards of ERP security, and by enforcing the compliance and accountability of your ERP users and stakeholders. Additionally, you need to audit and test your ERP security periodically, by conducting security assessments, audits, and tests, and by monitoring and analyzing your ERP security logs, reports, and alerts.

6 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?