For successful ERP implementation the vendor has to make strategies before the main implementation phase. Implementation requires planning, review of software capabilities, data collection, data conversion, training, testing, and final evaluation.
Step 1: Project Preparation: The team selection is made at project preparation stage. The software selection is also done at the stage, where the vendor defines the configuration of enterprise resource planning software that best suits the needs of the customer.
Tips: The vendor should set up a knowledge transfer plan and have communication with the buyer.
Step 2: Project Planning: In the project planning stage, the vendor assigns the task of implementation to the team, which examines the business process of the buyer to derive the information flow and to find the objectives of ERP implementation. A project plan is designed in the initial stage.
Tips: The implementation process should have minimum overlapping stages. Need for resources and total time required for implementation should be calculated. The buyer should be informed about the need for extra resources or third party software.
Step 3: Project Design: In this stage, the vendor defines the standard operating systems and other software required for ERP implementation and hardware configuration is also defined at this stage.
Tips: The project designs should be made available to all the team members at each stage of project implementation. The projection for cost should always be made appropriately to include the cost of hardware and software that is needed for implementation. A proper projection helps the buyer to be prepared for expenses.
Step 4: Data Conversion: The data of the client is collected and the data is integrated into the software. Data conversion process also serves as a data cleaning process, where all the data is reviewed and only valid data of the company is restored in the software.
Step 5: Training: The staffs of the buyer should be provided training to use the software correctly. Buyer may have IT experts who have worked on enterprise resource planning software and such employee may easily pickup the methods of technology, but if the employee handling it is not proficient, the trainers may have to spend a lot of time on training about the ERP.
Tips: Client should be trained about the security of the software.
Step 6: Final Evaluation and Testing: ERP software is tested for credibility and the vendor should ensure that all the procedures are functioning as per the business plan of the client.
Tips: A list of checklist should be made for checking after the completion of each implementation stage. At each stage of configuration, testing should be carried out to confirm proper software implementation at each level.
The quality of test scripts should be good to get exact reports and the software should also be tested for integrity and overloads in multi-user and multi-location environment.
Step 7: Post Implementation Stage: In the post implementation stage, the buyer is informed about help desk, annual maintenance and change control features.
Tips: Post implementation support for updates and upgrades.
