Preparing for your Cloud ERP software implementation

Preparing Your Organizational Strategy for ERP Implementation

If you’re preparing for a Cloud ERP software implementation, you know the process requires time, money, effort, and resources. Implementing your new cloud ERP software doesn’t begin with selecting the ERP system. It begins with realizing that your segmented, aging, legacy system isn’t keeping up with the requirements of today’s digital economy.

That knowledge turns into action, starting with research into why a cloud-based ERP solution would be the right fit for you, how it would replace or interact with the systems you already have in place, how much it would cost, and what the potential return on investment (ROI) would be. It’s also important to determine what benefits every person in your business could expect because you would all be affected by this change.

For an ERP implementation to get off the ground, you need approval from the leadership and IT teams and support from the team members who will be using the new cloud ERP software. For employees, the disruption to their daily activities and workflows must be mitigated by the ERP system’s expected ease of use, flexibility, and increased efficiency. So, communicate the plan to your employees before it happens, giving them time to digest the situation and weigh in on what functionalities and capabilities they would like the cloud ERP software to possess.

Identifying Key Stakeholders

Once you have leadership and organizational buy-in (and have listened to their advice), evaluate your ERP options and make your selection. Now, it’s time to prepare for cloud ERP implementation. But you can’t do it alone. It’s a complex process that requires team effort. Thankfully, you’ve already laid the groundwork with open communication and can anticipate filling the key stakeholder positions easily with people ready to tackle the project.

Key stakeholder positions include an Executive Sponsor (or the “Champion”), a Project Leader, a Technical Lead, and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Each team member has a specific role to play.

The Executive Sponsor, or Champion, is your go-to person for the ERP implementation. He or she is an executive in the company, who has been part of the decision-making from the beginning. When problems or hiccups arise, the Executive Sponsor is responsible for providing a solution. He or she communicates, organizes, and makes plans throughout the process, while encouraging the rest of the team to keep moving forward. This person works closely with the Project Leader.

The Project Leader (or Project Manager) is at the very center of a cloud ERP software implementation. He or she:

• Coordinates resources.
• Creates the project plan.
• Holds meetings.
• Assesses progress.
• Identifies problems.

The Project Leader communicates updates to the leadership team, the Executive Sponsor, and the whole organization.

The Technical Lead documents the required customizations, reports, and integrations. This includes supporting data migration and security activities.

Finally, SMEs take on the financial requirements. Their specialized skills help define user access roles, rights, and privileges; determine segregation of duties; and/or establish audit requirements. If you do not have people who can fill these roles, you can hire an outside contractor (business process outsourcing [BPO]).

As key stakeholders, the people you place in these positions hold the success of your ERP implementation in their hands. When you prepare for your ERP implementation, make sure you already have in mind people who can successfully accomplish these goals, and, if you don’t, make sure you find them before you begin your journey.