Seamless ERP Upgrades: How to Simplify the Process

There are many reasons why a business upgrades its ERP backend. You might be digitally transforming your business, and your legacy ERP system no longer is fit for purpose. You might be growing your business, and need additional functionality and scale as operational complexity increases. Perhaps you’re a startup that has outgrown QuickBooks, and this is your first ERP solution as you set the table for rapid growth.

Moving to a new ERP solution is a big project, because it touches all parts of a business and serves as the nerve center for operations. But the good news is that an ERP upgrade doesn’t have to be hard; you can roll out a new end-to-end ERP solution in as little as 90 days.

Here’s how to simplify the ERP upgrade process.

Start Early

The best time for upgrading your backend systems is before you need it.

When you start your ERP migration early, you have more employee resource availability because rollout times can be longer, and the rollout can flow around other business initiatives or seasonal sales demands. Starting your ERP migration early also ensures that new processes and technologies can be put in place before your old system starts breaking down from the strain.

The best time to plan an ERP upgrade is several years before you truly need it.

Use a Readymade System

Look for an ERP solution that comes ready to use out of the box, with standard workflows, processes and integrations ready by default. This cuts down or eliminates the scripting and workflow planning that is needed during rollout. Then you only have to address the exceptions and special processes, not build up your ERP from scratch.

Sometimes you even can take advantage of prepackaged ERP industry solutions that have been pre-configured for a particular line of business. These prepackages solutions will save you even more time and money.

Fit to Standard

A good ERP solution will come with best practices built in by default. Use these best practice processes and workflows whenever possible instead of reinventing the wheel with custom solutions that aren’t usually necessary.

Adopting best practices for backend processes will require some organizational leadership, as employees often resist change. But fitting your processes to standard will improve overall organizational efficiency and make ERP rollout much easier.

Crawl, Walk, Run

ERP does a lot for a business, but don’t roll it out all at once. Start by moving one department to your new ERP solution, such as finance. Then add more as you go, taking a phased approach to rollout.

This crawl, walk, run approach applies to functionality, too. Turn on just a few ERP applications at first, and stick with just essential functionality. There probably are lots of exciting things you can do with your new ERP solution, but turning on all functionality and adopting everything at once can be overwhelming and create project creep. Resist the urge to run before you walk.

Configure Instead of Code

Adapt the ERP solution to your business needs through system configuration instead of custom code.

A good ERP solution will come with ample opportunities for customization through configuration, both on the system and the individual user level. Configuration keeps your business using a standard solution that is well supported and easily evolves instead of having to invest in designing and maintaining custom code that slows down rollout and creates ongoing headaches later. Custom code is rarely needed for a modern ERP solution today, so look for configuration solutions instead of custom development.

Lean on Plugins and Extensibility

Modern ERP solutions such as SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition are built on a clean core concept where much of the functionality exists outside the core system in the form of plugins and extensions. Vendor-made and third-party plugins that extend ERP functionality and provide turnkey integration solutions can be found in marketplaces such as the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).

When implementing your new ERP system, leverage this plugin universe for faster rollout, easier configuration, and an even greater reduction in custom development.

Take Advantage of Low-Code Editors

In those cases where coding is necessary for your ERP implementation, use a drag-and-drop editor such as SAP Build for low-code or no-code development.

By using a low-code editor built into the ERP platform, you can both develop much faster and also ensure that the code is clean and follows the methodologies and best practices expected by the ERP solution and understood by the solution’s support community. This has the knock-on effect of making custom development easier to maintain through ERP update cycles, too.

Get an Experienced Support Partner

Partner with an experienced ERP implementation specialist during rollout for faster implementation and to avoid common mistakes during configuration.

You know your business, and the support partner knows ERP implementation and the vendor solution. Together, you and your support partner can quickly roll out an ERP solution that meets the needs of your business today and as your organization grows.

We’ve helped implement more than 500 ERP solutions for businesses over the past 20 years as an SAP Gold Partner. For more on how to painlessly upgrade your ERP, contact one of our experienced consultants: (801) 642-0123 | [email protected] | www.nbs-us.com