The time that you choose to implement an ERP system is very important but often an overlooked factor. To successfully implement the ERP software you must choose the ideal time to implement it. Some of the best times are:
Less busy times: When everyone is busy, implementing an ERP system will get in their way. There will be precious little time and attention given to the new system. Choosing to implement when business is slow will ensure that you get the full attention of all the people who will use the system. This will enhance the implementation success rate.
New financial year: The end of a financial year is a very busy time. But starting a new financial year on a new system ensures that there is less data that needs to be transferred to the new ERP system. Implementation of an ERP system too close to the financial year will create two sets of data to generate reports from, making financial accounting and management more complicated than it needs to be.
Implement in installments: If you foresee that the learning curve will be steep for the users of the ERP system, implement in stages. This gives the company’s personnel time to get comfortable with the new system before implementing the next stage.
Smaller businesses first: When a company has multiple locations and businesses in the group, implement the smaller ones first. This ensures that there are fewer big issues and that all potential issues are ironed out before deployment in the larger businesses.
Implement in a settled organizational structure: The success of an ERP system depends on the people using it. If the company is in the middle of a human resource churn and is hiring many people, it will become more difficult to define the roles of each user and train them. It is best to implement and train when the majority of personnel are settled in their roles. Vacation times when key personnel are not available also make implementation difficult.