Your ERP system is the backbone of your organization’s data and success. You know you need one, but the idea of selecting and implementing one can be as intimidating as cleaning out your closet. It’s going to take time and intention, and you might be tempted to just shut the door and save it for another day. Except you also know that putting it off can just make it feel that much worse in the future when you really have to clean that closet.

 Despite the intimidation factor—after all, picking the right ERP system is an important decision that takes time and research—there are ways to make sure your ERP implementation follows best practices without stressing your blood pressure. We’ve boiled it down to three key ERP implementation best practice steps that can help make this entire process more scalable: Select, Implement, Optimize.

1. Select

Now that ERP software has been around for a few decades (yes, decades!), newcomers have a lot of experience to draw on to guide their selection process. Take a careful look at critical components such as who the decision-making authorities are. Do you have a project manager? Are the right members of leadership included? A cross-section of your end users will also inform the success of future participation and buy-in. They can also help the team define both user and functional requirements based on your business’ processes. List any and all absolute must-haves from both the ERP software user and vendor.

2. Implement

This sounds like it might be the easy part, but your ERP implementation involves installing the software, moving data over to the new system, configuring users and processes alike, and training all users. A successful implementation gives your company the foundation to expand, launch new initiatives, and improve existing operations. ERP implementation best practices include:

• Keeping the objective in focus
• Controlling the timeline
• Allocating the resources, and
• Managing the risks.

3. Optimize

If you think you’re done after implementation, you still have a lot to learn! You’ll want to optimize your new ERP’s capabilities. This includes researching capabilities you might not be using, practicing continued business process improvement, and creating opportunities to share knowledge and information among users. Over time, skills and processes may regress as users forget features they might not regularly use, and new hires only learn a subset of the ERP skills that the original team trained on. Regular education with your ERP software partner and other subject-matter experts can help ensure that your ERP usage stays fresh and full.

More on ERP Implementation Best Practices

There’s more to ERP implementation best practices than we can cover in one blog article. Fortunately, our software partner SYSPRO offers a full white paper on creating the most successful ERP journey for your organization, outlining the top proven strategies for selection, implementation, and operation.

Want to learn more about ERP implementation best practices? Download the full white paper.

When you’re ready to start your own successful ERP journey, contact us at PositiveVision. With nearly two decades of experience helping SMBs find the right ERP solution for their needs, we’ve got the experience and expertise you need.