What is ERP implementation?

Implementing an ERP is the setting up of an ERP system in an organization setup, replacing the older software. Normally, in such cases, businesses replace their on-premise software and change it to a cloud ERP solution.

This involves a complete phase, including various stages and requiring various elements in the process. ERP implementation process is a time-consuming process. It needs to be well-planned by the business house before getting onto the field.

The plan should have a well-forecasted budget, resources, and expert guidance to make it a success. As important as choosing the right ERP, implementing the ERP is equally vital and is a critical phase to go through.

Why choose an implementation process?

The question might arise if the implementation could this so time-consuming, why businesses are opting for this decision? Cloud ERP implementation would offer businesses multiple benefits that on-premise software cannot.

Cutting costs: On-premise software is a costly thing to have. Cost in operations, cost in hardware elements, cost in repairing technical difficulties, and many other things. For any business, it is not ideal enough to spend your budget on multiple things. Now, if a solution like a cloud ERP arrives in the market, why wouldn’t businesses would opt for it?

Security: It is true that cloud based ERP software have a better security program than on-premise. Business data is very valuable and if gets misused, it could cause a massive downfall for the business. This is why a software is highly required to provide that ultimate safeguarding of the data.

Hassle-free setup: Cloud ERP setup is completely wireless and does not require any hardware components. All it needed is an internet connection and a working device where the software could connect. This feature came at a time when everything is getting cloud computed. People want to access their systems from anywhere in the world. On-premise software does not provide that benefit.

These are a few of the many reasons why organizations are ready to face the implementation phase, but willing to convert into cloud computing software.

Stages of ERP implementation?

As mentioned earlier, the implementation process is a long and hectic process and hence, it requires, serious planning before the execution process begins. So, here are the stages, that are involved in an ERP implementation:

Planning: It is the most important part of the project and if something goes wrong, it can hamper the whole implementation process. Constructing a productive plan for this process is quite risky and complex. This is why, industry experts, should be kept in touch for guidance. They could help you by providing ideas on certain matters like budget, customizing, time-length of the project, or something else.
Customization: Having a clear idea of what things are needed in the software and what is not, is the customization process. Here, the business owner needs to be very careful of the customizations, he would be demanding. A thorough idea of the business is very vital to create a list of the customizations required. More often than not, too many customizations in the software create blockage in the programming and make it difficult to work.
Training: The third part involves the training of the employees to work on the software. Training sessions need to be detailed and must be conducted by someone who has a vast knowledge of the software. There should be a good plan of action for the training. The owners must have sufficient budget, time, and resources for the training. There should not be any compromise in training the employees.
Going live: The last phase of the implementation process is the going live phase. This is where all the customizations, setups, data transferring, and training have been done. Now the software is ready to go live. The going live phase involves two different types. The big bang implementation type and the phased implementation type.

Types of ERP implementation.

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of ERP implementation processes that can be used. The processes vary on the nature and the risk-taking capacity of the organization.

Big Bang Implementation: One of the two implementation types is the big bang implementation process. Here, the strategy is to make the software go live all at once. In this phase, the user would have to replace all the existing software with the latest software, in one go. This strategy has its own pros and cons just like the phased strategy, which will be followed by this. All training, technical testings, customizations, data transferring, everything is done beforehand. So, this saves a lot of time for the organization.
Phased Implementation: Unlike big bang implementation, the going live phase does not happen at once but in phases. The software goes into action in parts, giving time to the users to get used to the new system. During this phase, the business uses both types of software for operations. There are multiple benefits to this implementation strategy. One of the biggest benefits is that the data will get cross-checked as both software systems will be working simultaneously.

To simplify the implementation process of WrkPlan cloud ERP software, experts will be guiding throughout the process for any advice. Our experts will recommend after a thorough study of your business, which implementation strategy will be ideal. They would also structure a plan regarding the time length, budget involved, and training session. WrkPlan will be going to provide, all the necessary support to the user to make this unfeasible journey, workable.