There are three major changeover strategies - big bang, progressive and parallel. The choice of strategy may vary depending on systems. With bespoke systems, for example, most companies tend to choose the progressive changeover strategy to reduce risk and cost. Companies should choose the latest ERP euro release available which will probably provide additional business functionality, CRM, Web technology etc. The implementation may take longer than 12 months, depending on the number of sites, packages and the complexity and number of bespoke systems and interfaces.
Planning is vital if companies are to achieve a smooth and seamless transition to the euro.
The further ahead a company can plan the more likely it will be that they can make cost effective strategy decisions. The use of IT tools and a well chosen methodology to automate the euro transformation process can significantly save time. With the assistance of such tools companies can gather the necessary knowledge about their bespoke systems. It has been demonstrated that the use of effective IT in the analysis and implementation phase has minimised errors and enabled correct testing. Euro transformation is probably the biggest project a company ever will face.