Once you’ve chosen the right ERP system for your manufacturing or distribution business, the real work begins. Successful implementation turns your investment into actual improvements that drive growth and efficiency. Let’s explore practical strategies to navigate the implementation journey and get the most value from your ERP investment.
Building Your Implementation Team
Start by putting together a team that includes people from different parts of your business:
- A project leader who keeps everything on track
- A senior leader who can remove roadblocks and make key decisions
- Team members from production, finance, and warehouse operations
- IT staff to handle technical details
- Frontline workers who understand daily operations
This team will guide the project, make decisions, and help their coworkers adapt to the new system. For manufacturers, it’s important to balance implementation work with keeping production running smoothly.
Planning Your Implementation Approach
A good implementation plan keeps your business running while changes are happening. Your plan should include:
- Whether to implement all at once or in stages (most manufacturers do better with a step-by-step approach)
- Realistic timelines that work around your busy production periods
- Who needs to be involved and when
- Key milestones to track progress
- Regular check-ins to make sure the system meets your needs
Many manufacturers find success by starting with core production functions and then adding other features over time. This reduces risk and creates early successes that build support throughout your company.
Getting Your Data Ready
Good data is essential for your ERP system to work properly. Focus on:
- Cleaning up product information, parts lists, and inventory records
- Deciding what information needs to move to the new system
- Double-checking data before and after it’s transferred
- Determining how much historical data you need
- Testing to make sure the new system works with your information
Pay special attention to product specifications, work center details, and inventory records. These directly impact your ability to schedule production and manage materials effectively.
Adapting the System to Your Business
Every manufacturing business is unique, so your ERP system will need some adjustments. Find the right balance by:
- Using the system’s built-in options before considering custom programming
- Creating a process for reviewing change requests
- Being willing to adjust your procedures when it makes sense
- Documenting any changes you make to the system
- Thinking about how changes might affect future system updates
The most successful implementations aim for about 80 percent standard functionality with focused adjustments for truly unique aspects of your business.
Testing Before Going Live
Thorough testing prevents disruptions to your operations. Make sure to:
- Test individual tasks like creating purchase orders or production schedules
- Test how different processes work together (like ordering materials through to shipping finished products)
- Have your actual employees test the system by performing their regular tasks
- Try out unusual scenarios that might happen in your business
- Fix critical problems before moving forward
Document all test results and prioritize fixing issues that could impact production or customer deliveries.
Preparing Your Team for Change
Your employees need to feel comfortable with the new system for it to succeed. Help them adapt by:
- Creating training that focuses on their specific job duties
- Providing hands-on practice with realistic examples
- Developing simple reference guides they can use on the job
- Identifying go-to people in each department who can help others
- Clearly explaining how the new system will make their work better
For manufacturing staff, especially those on the production floor, show how the system will provide better information and reduce frustration, not just add complexity to their day.
Going Live Successfully
The transition to the new system needs careful planning:
- Create a detailed checklist for the transition day
- Make sure all data is transferred and checked
- Set up system access for everyone who needs it
- Have extra support available during the first few weeks
- Develop backup plans for handling any issues that arise
Consider scheduling your go-live during a slower production period to give your team time to adjust to the new processes.
Continuing to Improve
Going live is just the beginning. To get the most from your investment:
- Track how the system impacts important measures like on-time delivery and inventory accuracy
- Regularly review processes to find improvement opportunities
- Listen to employee suggestions for making the system work better
- Schedule periodic system check-ups to ensure everything runs smoothly
- Stay current with updates that add helpful features
By treating your ERP system as a tool that evolves with your business, you’ll continue to see benefits for years to come.
Getting the Support You Need
Implementing an ERP system successfully requires expertise and good project management. Our manufacturing and distribution advisory team brings extensive experience guiding businesses through implementations. We can help you develop practical strategies, guide you through the process, and optimize your system for maximum value.
This article was the third article in a series. For the rest of the articles in this series, click below:
ERP Series – Article 1 – Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Guide_Technology Solutions to Move Businesses Forward
ERP Series – Article 2 – Maximizing Return on Investment_ERP Assessment and Selection for Manufacturers and Distributors
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Ready to move forward with your ERP implementation? Contact our manufacturing advisory team to discuss how we can help ensure your project delivers the improvements your business needs.
