Upgrading your ERP system is a stressful experience at the best of times, but when you are also moving from a legacy ERP system, it can reach critical level. It can be a very difficult time, but the end result can be a strong platform for business growth and improved efficiency across your company.
Before you get started there are many things you need to consider to ensure that moving from a legacy ERP system goes as smoothly as possible.
Create a Business Blueprint
The first thing to consider is how a Blueprint of your business could set you up for success. By taking a holistic view of your people, processes, and systems, you can capture your organisations “As Is”, which is how you are currently working. You can then map out your “To Be” future that looks at best practices for your industry and what is viable for your business.
Investing in this early stage results in less time, cost, and risk in the long run because you gain a deep understanding of how your business operates. This allows you to create requirements that are detailed and relevant, ensuring you select the right ERP system later in the project.
Selecting Your New ERP System
There are many different, viable options that exist in the ERP marketplace for all sizes of business. This makes it easy to end up with a system that is not fit for purpose and hampers your ability to run your business. Every vendor will try to convince you that their system is the best choice, and it is your job to cut through the noise.
If you have created a Blueprint, then you will be in much better shape to challenge these systems with examples that are relevant to your business. Understanding your requirements means you know what a system has to do as well as what would be nice to have.
On-premises or Cloud-based
If you are running a legacy system, then you will almost certainly have an on-premises solution. Modern systems will present you with the option to move to an ERP that is hosted in the Cloud.
For some companies this can be the best option as it can result in lower costs, but others may feel more comfortable having their data under their own watch. Both options have pros and cons, so it is worth considering what is right for your company when moving from a legacy ERP system.
Data Migration
As you are using a legacy system that has been in place for years, you are going to have a lot of data. Getting a plan in place of what to do with this data will be vital to avoid being overwhelmed. You will need to consider data cleansing, migration, and if your new system will be equipped to handle everything you want to move over.
User Training
User training is an area that is often underbudgeted for when planning out an ERP project. This problem is amplified when moving from a legacy ERP system as the changes teams are faced with can be substantial.
Make sure you consider all the different departments that will interact with the new system and consider who should be trained as system experts. These people will have the most detailed knowledge of the system and help other team members with problems when they arise.
If you could benefit from support to move from your legacy ERP system, then get in touch with our team today.