Successful ERP Implementation Planning

Preparation is the key to success

Implementing or changing an ERP system is a big undertaking. Deployment of a new system, of any scale, will inevitably bring changes to both data and processes across your entire organisation. The risk of not realizing all of the benefits you envisaged is high.

Analyst firm Gartner estimates that 55% to 75% of all ERP projects fail to meet their objectives.

But this doesn’t have to be the case for your ERP project. As the saying goes… ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Your ERP vendor will be your key partner as you progress through your implementation process but note the use of the word ‘partner’. Your ERP supplier is there to provide the expertise you need to realise desired benefits, minimise downtime, accelerate staff acceptance and complete your project on time and within budget.

However, make no mistake. If you are to truly extract the full range of benefits expected from your new ERP software, it is essential that you prepare as much as you can for the implementation process you are about to embark on. This guide sets out the best practice preparatory work you can, and should, carry out in order to ensure your implementation is as smooth as possible.

ERP Implementation Guide - GenetiQ 2026

Key steps in this guide

This guide covers the essential preparation steps organisations should complete before beginning an ERP implementation. Navigate to any section to learn how proper planning increases the likelihood of a successful rollout and system adoption.

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01 Project
objectives

01Project
objectivesRead More

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02 Scope
of works

02Scope
of worksRead More

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03 Project
team

03Project
teamRead More

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04 Change management

04Change managementRead More

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05 Data
cleansing

05Data
cleansingRead More

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GenetiQ implementation approach

GenetiQ implementation approachRead More

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Get the templates to plan your ERP project

Get the templates to plan your ERP projectRead More

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FAQs Common questions answered

FAQsCommon questions answeredRead More

Step 1: Define your ERP project objectives

While your supplier can and should help you to decipher what features and benefits your new system can provide, best practice suggests that you should begin by establishing clearly thought-out core objectives.

This ensures the software features you require to run your business, and their related benefits, are not overshadowed by glamorous feature add-ons that may add little or no value.

Think about what you’re trying to achieve:

What limitations are you encountering in your current system?
What improvements do you want to make across your entire organisation?

Make your objectives definite, specific statements about what you intend to accomplish and make them as quantifiable as possible.

**Project objectives example:**
Challenge	Solution Required	Benefits
Our current system can’t scale with our growth plans as the technology at its core is out of date	A modern, cloud-first ERP platform that enables ‘out-of-the-box’ configuration and can be quickly and cost-effectively customised	A future-ready system that supports change, growth, and long-term scalability
KPI data is not available in real-time leading to slow decision-making and customer service issues	Real-time dashboards and early visibility into issues	Faster, more informed decisions and the ability to address issues before they escalate
We have separate databases for different departments so we have to maintain multiple systems	A fully integrated ERP platform with a single source of truth	Better collaboration, streamlined processes, and faster decision-making across the business
Our system is too rigid to adapt to changing business processes	Flexible personalisation that allows your team to adapt workflows, fields, and views without heavy development	A system that evolves with your business and supports continuous improvement
My system will not facilitate moving stock between branches	Seamless stock transfers across locations	Accurate inventory tracking and improved operational efficiency

Get a blank copy of this objective-setting template 👇

Step 2: Document your business processes and scope of work

It’s crucial that your ERP vendor understands how your business currently operates and how you want it reflected in your new system.

Each business has its own nuances, idiosyncrasies, whatever you want to call them, but in essence, they make you… you.

There are many workflow tools available online that enable you to easily create workflow charts for your organisation.

The use of workflow charts can prove incredibly useful here, helping you to capture your business modus operandi in a very visual, easy-to-understand format.

With today’s ERP systems now using the latest technologies, you can surround yourself with any amount of data, KPIs, etc. The key is to tailor it to your specific needs and that of each end user.

The creation of workflow charts is often considered a tedious task but in our experience, has repeatedly proven to be worth its weight in gold as you progress through your project deployment.

Step 3: Build your ERP project team

Your ERP system forms the backbone of your business; a migration of systems must be managed by a competent project team that has full support from your senior management. Your team should consist of senior managers across the business to ensure all departments affected by the implementation are validly represented.

This will aid acceptance of the system as each department adopts a certain level of project ownership relating to their particular area of expertise. The other key members of the project team will include your software vendor who will assign a project manager and consultant(s) to your ERP implementation project.

A typical ERP project team consists of:

Executive Sponsor

Responsibility:
Owns budget, removes internal barriers and oversees project progress.

Who:
Senior stakeholder within your organisation

System Owner

Responsibility:
Internal champion responsible for system configuration and key decisions.

Who:
Key operational stakeholder (not necessarily the sponsor)

Sales Team Lead

Responsibility:
Provides legacy data and signs off user acceptance testing (UAT).

Who:
Internal sales lead

Purchasing Team Lead

Responsibility:
Provides legacy data and signs off UAT for purchasing processes.

Who:
Internal purchasing lead

Inventory Team Lead

Responsibility:
Provides stock data and signs off UAT for inventory processes.

Who:
Internal inventory or warehouse lead

Finance Team Lead

Responsibility:
Provides financial data and signs off UAT for finance modules.

Who:
Internal finance lead

Project Manager

Responsibility:
Manages scope, timelines and overall project delivery.

Who:
ERP software partner

Consultants

Responsibility:
Configure the system in line with business requirements.

Who:
ERP software partner

Hardware / IT Support

Responsibility:
Ensures infrastructure or cloud environment supports the system.

Who:
Internal IT team or third-party provider

Get the workbook for the team planning worksheet 👇

Step 4: Preparing for change

The importance of your ERP project and its impact on your wider organisation should not be underestimated. Failing to appreciate the cultural barriers and change implications that could arise is a major oversight.

Take the time to review your current situation and how this change will impact your business and staff. How will the process be managed? Are there any cultural implications?

Creating a change management strategy alongside your implementation plan helps limit the resistance to a new system and can identify any problems before they become disruptive to day-to-day business.

Some of the key areas to include in your change management:

Staff communication
Schedule regular meetings/briefings with all affected staff throughout the project.

Training
Training requirements may differ for each staff member.

Ongoing support
In addition to broader training needs, all software vendors provide ongoing support services.

Step 5: Data cleansing

As the saying goes… ‘Garbage in, Garbage Out’. The importance of undergoing the data cleansing process at the pre-implementation phase should not be underestimated.

Ensuring your project starts out with clean, accurate and relevant data will save you time and money in the long run.

Take the time now to decide how much historical data you wish to migrate to the new system and indeed how much data must be migrated for compliance reasons. Ensure all duplicates, irrelevant and incorrect data is removed from the system pre-migration.

This is not a glamorous job but the effort expended here will reap huge rewards down the line. Assign the appropriate employees to the task and provide them with the time allowed to complete this task fully. The employee selected for this task must have an eye for detail and a solid working knowledge of the data that will enable them to extract your most relevant data.

Before migrating data into your ERP system, organisations should review their data for:

Duplicate records
Outdated information
Incomplete data fields
Irrelevant historical records

The GenetiQ implementation approach

Every supplier will have a different approach to implementing their ERP solution. Here, we outline the implementation of GenetiQ Cloud, our latest ERP platform, as a high-level example.

Typical stages include:

Process review

We evaluate and document all staff roles and outline all key business processes, such as SOS, POP, Stock, and Accounts.

Data conversion

We import the applicable data from your legacy system, utilising ready-made templates for Excel or CSV formats.

System design

Your settings, form designs, reports, workflow process flows, ledger settings, etc., are aligned with the findings from the business process review.

Pilot phase

In test mode, your consultant will lead each module owner through each business process to ensure adequate functionality for go-live.

User training

We ensure both generic induction and back-office training are carried out, along with training for individual users.

Go live

Upon completion of a detailed plan 2-4 weeks before launch, your test company is commissioned on the live system.

Go live support

The project manager will work with you and your consultant to ensure a seamless go-live and iron out any initial startup issues.

Post go live

As you transition to the CSO team, you will be empowered to fully maximise the functionality of the system over the course of 6-8 weeks to include two month-ends.

Have questions?

ERP implementation FAQs

How long does it take to implement a new ERP system? Typically for an average size project, companies tend to allow for 6 months from date of order to go-live. Given that the process of evaluating and choosing a system can take several months, a company should take all this into consideration when putting timescales around a project like this.

When is the best time to implement a new ERP system?

There’s no perfect time to implement a new ERP system, but choosing the right go-live date can make a big difference to the success of your project.

A month-end is typically the most practical option, as it allows for a cleaner transition and maintains a clear audit trail.

When planning your timeline, you should also consider:

• The availability of key team members for data preparation, training, and testing

• Avoiding holiday periods or times when critical staff are unavailable

• Your business cycle, particularly peak trading periods, where disruption should be kept to a minimum

• Taking these factors into account will help ensure a smoother transition and set your project up for success.

Will moving to a new ERP require major IT changes?

Moving to a modern cloud ERP doesn’t typically require significant changes to your IT environment. There’s no need to manage servers or infrastructure, and systems are accessed securely through a web browser.

This allows your business to reduce complexity, improve security, and focus on performance rather than maintenance.

Do I need to use different document formats or templates?

Modern ERP systems allow you to easily design and customise documents such as invoices, purchase orders, and statements to match your brand.

This is a good time to review how your documents are presented and make sure they reflect your current corporate identity.

Most businesses now favour digital documents and electronic communication, helping to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and streamline document management.

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A preparatory guide to ERP implementation

Preparation is the key to success

Key steps in this guide

Step 1: Define your ERP project objectives

Step 2: Document your business processes and scope of work

Want the planning templates for each step?

Step 3: Build your ERP project team

Step 4: Preparing for change

Download the ERP Implementation Workbook

Step 5: Data cleansing

The GenetiQ implementation approach

Download the ERP Implementation Workbook

Get your free ERP implementation workbook

ERP implementation FAQs

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