10 Tips For A Successful Software Implementation

The following list is by no means exhaustive, but it forms a good foundation from which to set your business up for a successful ERP software implementation.

1. Support of your leadership team: Buy-in from your leadership team is critical to impact change successfully. The risk of project failure is much higher when your leadership team isn’t ready, willing and able to support and model change.
2. Define your business goals: If possible, determine your desired ROI, the timeframe within which you want to achieve it and establish a framework for measuring your results. One option is to create survey for each department in your business to identify the improvements you want to make to your business process and what document what ‘done’ looks like. Then set goals for cost reductions and other measurable results so you can evaluate and identify your return on investment for your ERP software.
3. Defined Scope: Consider taking a phased approach to implementation, so that you can break the process down into manageable work streams. Most organisations have multiple business solutions that ERP will need to be integrated with including; payroll, accounts, sales order, inventory (and more). The scope of each phase should be clearly defined and communicated to all involved parties before you start.
4. IT Ecosystem Planning: Per the above, it is wise to go through the process of assessing and consolidating the solutions your business already uses as part of day-today operations before you start. The higher the number of solutions you have in your IT ecosystem, the more potential points of failure. Also clarify the points of connection across all your solutions with your IT team and then plan and execute these integrations systematically and thoroughly. Integrations can be tricky and many ERP providers won’t do sophisticated integrations, so make sure you clarify what’s needed internally AND with your potential ERP provider before your sign a contract with them.
5. Change Management: This sounds obvious, but the change management process is the most important part of introducing any new software to your business. Such an exercise will touch every employee in your organisation. If you don’t manage that change diligently, you are potentially setting the project up for failure. Project leaders (and the leadership team) often fall into the trap of believing it is a one-and-done activity that starts and ends with either the beginning of the project or with user training. However, the reality is that change management should begin as soon as you sign the contract with your ERP software provider. It begins with ERP and IT leaders building broad-based consensus among end-users and stakeholders for both the technology and the process changes to come. Other considerations include identifying barriers to change; providing opportunities for stakeholders to provide feedback and express concerns; clearly articulating the impact of technology and process changes on end-users.
6. Project Management: It should go without saying that project management is also critical to success. Select a capable project manager who can oversee the initial implementation and on-going use of the software, provide enough resources with enough time to execute the project and don’t rush it. Slow and steady always wins the race.
7. Policy and Procedural Changes: Making the transition from operating on paper to digital ERP will require a review of your policies and procedures to realign them to operating in a digital environment. Ensure that all new policies and  procedures are well documented and available within your new ERP system, and train all employees so that they understand what’s expected of them and know how to adhere to changes.
8. Security and Compliance: Identify new, and ensure current security and compliance requirements are accurately documented and adapt your ERP software to meet these needs. Both security and compliance regulations change frequently, so it is critical that you have a team, and processes in place to manage this ongoing risk.
9. Planning for Future Growth: Don’t fall into the trap of selecting a product that meets your current needs, but doesn’t facilitate the capacity for the system to adapt as your business grows and your needs change. Ascertain whether your ERP  software be able to accommodate additional employees as you grow at a cost that is within your budget. If you decide to expand internationally, will it remain a suitable solution? Is the software flexible enough to morph and change as laws, regulations and your policies and procedures change, without the need for expensive customisation?
10. Allow for the Human Factor: There is a steep learning curve involved when introducing anything new into your business. ERP Professionals are not IT Professionals and they shouldn’t need to be. However, everyone involved in ERP software implementation will need to learn new knowledge, new skills, and stretch themselves to meet the needs of the project. If your business doesn’t plan for and accommodate the human factor in this process by providing adequate support and resources, then it would be unfair to criticize the team if the project misses milestones, the project costs more than anticipated, or the personal toll impacts an individual’s performance in other areas.