From design to realisation: 4 tips for a successful start of your ERP project

The design phase is the first stage in any ERP implementation. During this phase, the consultant aims to gain a clear understanding of the client’s business processes. In practice, this means that the consultant questions key users about their processes. Each consultant does this for their functional area, which may include, for example, purchasing, sales, planning, warehousing, and transport. The consultants then share their findings to create an initial integrated design. While drafting this initial design, they aim to support as many processes as possible with standard ERP functionalities. After discussing the initial design with key users, a final design is created, which serves as the basis for the project to move into the build phase.

1: Involve the developer in the final design

Often, it is not possible or desirable to support all business processes with standard ERP. In such cases, customizations will be necessary to achieve the desired process efficiency. Once the customization requirements are identified after discussing the initial design, it is advisable to involve a developer in the final design. The developer can provide the best insights into which technical solution is most suitable for the functional issue. Additionally, it is important to have a time estimate for the programming work to create a realistic timeline (tip 3). Sometimes, it is also beneficial to involve an integration consultant in the final design to ensure that all components are well-aligned.

2: Make it visual

“A picture says more than a thousand words.” It is therefore recommended to create a visual representation of the new business process and system structure. By visualizing the final design, people gain a better understanding of the future process, avoiding unnecessary process discussions later in the project. It is advisable to display the process flow in the project room so it can be referenced during discussions. Based on this future process, the user organization can develop test scripts to assess whether the system sufficiently supports the new business process.

3: Define the Scope clearly and monitor it

In addition to the design, it is important to clearly document the specifications for the “to-be” configuration and RICEF (reports, interfaces, enhancements, and forms) items. Once the design and specifications are clear to everyone, it is recommended to have them signed off by the user organization. This ensures that everyone understands what will be delivered, preventing disputes later about what was initially in or out of scope. It is then the responsibility of project management to actively monitor this scope and critically evaluate change requests.

4: Draw up a realistic planning schedule

Once the final design and specifications are signed off by all parties, it is important to create a realistic schedule. The final design should include time estimates for the tasks to be carried out. Based on these time estimates, a schedule for the build phase can be created. It is crucial that this schedule is neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic; it should be realistic, based on the provided estimates and the experience gained over the years.

Take time to work out a good design with all the parties concerned. This avoids a lot of uncertainty and debate later in the project. And remember: “Good design is good business”.