The ERP Implementation Process: From Initial Enquiry To Installation

Stage 2 – Technical Discussion

Following the initial discussion, a second stage meeting will be held to discover your needs from a technical perspective and gauge if and how we can satisfy them.

This meeting will uncover whether your requirement is likely to be satisfied by a standard product, or if there will be customisation required. This discussion will centre around the technical questions of:

• “How will technology affect new or changed business processes?”
• “What kind of hardware, IT infrastructure, and any supporting software/devices do you currently have in place?”
• “What are the main problems (including business issues) driving the project?”
• “What are your goals and objectives for implementing ERP/Dynamics software?”
• “What are the most pressing needs and expectations of your users and stakeholders?”
• “Will requirements be satisfied with standard products, or will customisation be required?”

We will also discuss the software solution you are interested in and what is the best solution for your business. Once you are satisfied with this technical discussion, we can arrange the next stage - the demo.

Stage 3 - Demonstration (Demo)

A video meeting will be held with our Sales Director and project management teams to provide a technical demonstration of the chosen software solution, typically via a video walkthrough. In preparation for the demo, some questions will arise, such as: 

• Who needs to be involved in the demonstration? What are their roles?
• What do you want to get out of this demonstration? What is your experience with ERP systems?
• Are you looking to host on-premise or in the Cloud?
• How many sites does this affect? How many countries, languages, and currencies would be involved?
• What time frame are you anticipating? Will upcoming busy periods affect it?
• Do you want this solution to solve everything at once or in phases? What order will this phasing be in?
• What reporting needs do you have that can be automated?

The demo seeks to shine further light on these questions and begin preparations for the fourth stage of discovery. A further demo may also be arranged depending on feedback from the first demo. We’ll use your feedback on the demo to construct a model of your company's pain points and how to relieve them, moving on to…

Stage 4 - Discovery

Using documentation gathered from the first 3 meetings, our team will then conduct a detailed inspection of your current workflows and processes to document and describe exactly what would be needed to implement an ERP solution and sketch a rough estimate for a timescale.

The discovery stage of the ERP implementation process is designed to conduct a deep dive into the specifics of your business workflows.

Questions concerning supporting documentation, project resources, funding intent, areas to automate, MRPs, demand planning, inventory optimisation, delivery scheduling, warehousing, item pricing, supplier capability, customs output processes, taxation requirements, and stock monitoring will all be brought up if relevant to your business.

The discovery stage will also delve into specifics of the features an ERP solution will offer regarding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), web information layout, critical business analysis reports, workflow management to approve, ledgering and accounting, asset and vendor management, Bill of Materials (BOM), budgeting, customer payments setup, marketing, Sales Order Processing (SOP), shipping structure, master planning and whatever else is deemed a requirement. 

After a thorough analysis, our team will prep and set the final stage to begin the implementation of your chosen software.

Stage 5 - Delivery

By the beginning of this stage, a solid project plan has been established and finalised, and our project management team will begin the implementation. Our delivery teams are highly experienced, meaning your project will be delivered smoothly and quickly. Of course, the project plan will be subject to frequent review to ensure deadlines are being met, the project is within budget, and to avoid miscommunication.

What is the key to successfully implementing an ERP system?

Once the project has been completed and your system is running, the project will be finalised and depending on the agreement, you will transition to ongoing training and support.

“What makes our process so uniquely successful is its level of ease and transparency. Our team of specialists are always developing an ever-improving customer experience. This is reflected by our ability to identify and specifically cater to the unique demands of your business.”

• Sean Williams, Microsoft Dynamics, and ERP Sales Specialist