ERP systems can help automate business processes, streamline end-to-end operations and deliver a true and unified picture of business information. Implementing a new ERP system, such as SAP Business One, can also help digitally transform your business.
Many business leaders have concerns that making big changes to processes may cause disruption, create uncertainty amongst staff, become timely and costly and even result in downtime for the business. However, if a realistic and well-designed strategy is adhered to, an ERP deployment can be carried out with minimal disturbance.
Top tips for a successful implementation
1. Define your Business Blueprint
The Business Blueprint provides a common strategy of how your business processes are to be mapped into one or more SAP systems. The Business Blueprint details the scope of business scenarios, business processes, process steps, and the requirements of an SAP Business One implementation. The structure is as follows:
• Organisational Units
• Master data
• Business scenarios
• Business processes
• Process steps
The more time you devote to scoping out the project requirements and identifying any additional features and modules required, the more successful your implementation will be.
2. Work with an experienced and trusted partner
Everyone knows that the most successful projects are built on trust and great communication. As your ERP partner is such as key stakeholder, it’s critical that you research them thoroughly before a partnership is formed.
• Have they worked with similar organisations?
• Do they have experience in your sector?
• Will the same Consultant be with you throughout the implementation project?
• Are customer references available?
3. Cleanse, cleanse and cleanse again!
Working with clean data from the very start will help the process run much more smoothly. Each department involved needs to work together to:
• Standardise records
• Validate information
• De-duplicate entries
• Input any missing data
4. Allocate time for training
It’s really important to get everyone on board as quickly as possible, so that every user feels involved and part of the journey. The more training, demos and information shared with your team, the more likely the business will embrace the change and accept the new system.
• Hold Q&A sessions
• Run demos
• Provide user guides
• Use ‘real’ data to help users relate to the system
5. Carry out User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Your SAP Business One partner will perform this critical phase of testing and during the test will check the design and configuration of the system.
• Ensure all expected features are available
• Check functionality of the platform
• Test real-life scenarios and circumstances
Any issues highlighted can be sent back to the developers and repaired before the go-live date.
For more information on how SAP Business One can streamline your business operations, get in touch today
