Upgrading or replacing an ERP solution can be a stressful time. New systems often go hand in hand with new procedures, and change can be difficult to manage. New systems also require a degree of work to get them up and running, and this work is in addition to your day job.
We have been implementing ERP and Financial Management solutions for over 30 years. And in our experience, the best implementation projects are the ones where everyone is well prepared. Preparation reduces risk, lowers cost, and improves outcomes.
This is the first in our series of six top tips to help you be better prepared for your ERP implementation. Follow these guidelines and I guarantee your implementation will be less stressful and more successful.
This is another way of saying make sure to clean your data before importing it into your new system.
A story.
Imagine a company that decides to implement a new ERP system to streamline sales processes and improve customer experience. However, instead of taking the time to clean and verify their existing customer data, they simply import all the old data into the new system without any checks.
As a result, the new system is filled with outdated, incorrect, and duplicate customer information. Sales representatives struggle to find accurate contact details, leading to missed opportunities and frustrated customers. Operations face similar issues, unable to resolve complaints efficiently because they can’t trust the data they're working with.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Hopefully you agree that data cleansing is a good idea. That being so, please do not leave it to the last minute.
In a typical project you will be given “homework”. Homework is shorthand for saying that there are tasks that will be assigned to you. Data cleansing is likely to be one of those tasks. After all, you know your data better than anyone.
This homework will have a planned completion date. Other follow-on activities will depend on the successful delivery of this work. If the work is not completed on time, the project timetable may slip.
Don't underestimate the amount of work that is involved in data cleansing. There may be difficulties in, say, exporting customer information from your old accounting system. There may be unforeseen problems in the data. Your day job may get in the way.
The best way to avoid these problems is to start early. Don'’'t leave the task until a day or two before the agreed completion date.
It is often assumed that you need to transfer absolutely everything. Reference information. Transaction history. The lot. But this is not necessarily best practice. When planning your data migration, question how much you need. Don’t stagnate your future with old, meaningless data. Cut down on the volume and you will have a simpler, cleaner, and more successful data migration.
In the next blog in this series, Tip #2 we be highlighting the importance of project team selection.
To learn more, download copies of our SAP Business One Implementation Guide and SunSystems Cloud Implementation Guide.
by Ed Bentley
Blog updated 18th February 2025
