Starting an ERP project? Let us understand customer responsibilities

ERP implementation and enablement is just a once in 10-year opportunity for most organizations. Of course, there are organizations who change their ERPs within 5 years when their ERPs do not improvise periodically or when organizations outgrow their current ERP’s offerings. Customization and maintaining the customization is not a preferred option for most organizations who are looking at complete digital transformation. 

During the implementation phase, it is crucially important to understand the responsibilities between the customer, implementor and License provider. 

Project Sponsorship and Governance

Executive Sponsorship: Ensure there is strong executive sponsorship to provide leadership, make critical decisions, and secure necessary resources.

Project Governance: Establish a governance structure with clear roles and responsibilities, including a steering committee to oversee the project.

Participating in the Steering Committee meetings is crucially important for both these bodies.

Data Management

Data Cleansing: Cleanse existing data to ensure accuracy and consistency before migration. 

Data Migration: Collaborate with the implementation team to transfer data from legacy systems to the new ERP system.

Change Management

Communication: Develop a communication plan to keep all stakeholders informed about project progress, changes, and benefits. Email out on a fixed time every week on this.

Active Participation: All businesses run on a timeline. Implementation team do understand there might be a quarter closing, upcoming audits, etc.; however, it is important for your project manager to work with the implementation team and schedule the relevant sessions. Once done, ensure your complete participation from day 1. 

Training: Provide training for end-users to ensure they understand how to use the new system and adapt to new processes.

Resistance Management: Identify potential resistance to change and develop strategies to address concerns and encourage adoption.

System readiness. 

Testing and Validation: User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Participate in UAT to validate that the system meets the business requirements and is functioning as expected. Create scenarios that were difficult for you with the previous ERP. Ask your implementation team to help you carry out the same scenario in the new system.

Feedback and Adjustments: Provide feedback and work with the implementation team to make necessary adjustments

Go-Live Preparation

Cutover Planning: Be involved in a detailed plan created by the implementation team for transitioning from the old system to the new ERP system, including timelines, responsibilities, and contingency plans. 

System Readiness: Ensure that all necessary hardware, software, and infrastructure are ready for the system to go live.

Usability of the Systems: Continuous Improvement: Monitor the system's performance and work on continuous improvements and optimizations.

When EQInt started the implementation of Oracle ERP projects, we started working out on these details with the customer from day 1. We ensured that customers understood that ERP implementation is more of a group effort than a one-man magic show. Though the implementor to customer responsibility ratio is 80:20, that 20% is crucially important for us for seamless implementation. EQInt’s experienced project managers lead project level change management; however, we insist project sponsors and client-led project managers work with us hand in hand to help business users to adapt to these changes. Moreover, EQInt’s consultants are usually hired from the customer industry domain. This helps business users correlate Oracle process and terminologies with them.