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9 Things to Consider to Ensure ERP Upgrade Success

An ERP upgrade is in your future

ERP upgrade projects are often seen as non-strategic initiatives that are required to stay current to be supported by their ERP vendor. These projects can place an undue burden on the organization in the form of costs, resources, risks that the organization would rather not take.

However, upgrades do not have to be the headache that they often are, or that they are often imagined to be by reluctant managers. There are many opportunities to streamline the upgrade process that lead to efficiencies and, ultimately, bottom-line improvements.

ERP upgrades are one of the most important projects in the ERP software lifecycle and a well-planned upgrade has an incredibly positive impact on an organization’s continuous business process improvement. Because it is such a critical element of ERP management, it is essential that organizations fully understand and succeed during these projects because significant resources will be spent on the upgrade project.

Here are 9 things to consider in your planning:

1. Upgrade obstacles exist but so do significant opportunities

Regardless of what version of ERP you are on, an upgrade decision is in your future. Upgrade projects are often seen as non-strategic initiatives that are required to stay current to be supported by your ERP vendor. These projects can place an undue burden on the organization in the form of costs, resources, risks that the organization would rather not take. Despite obstacles, there may be many opportunities to streamline the upgrade process that will lead to efficiencies in areas and therefore positively impact your bottom line. There are numerous things that can be done prior to upgrading that will prepare you, your future project team, and your organization for an easier transition to an upgrade project.

Symphony leads organizations through a series of critical steps, guided by industry best practices, to prepare them for an ERP upgrade that is not merely an IT project, but also a business transformation process.

2. Create an inventory of modules licensed versus modules in use

For many organizations the original implementation was rapid and not all of the licensed modules were deployed. Prior to an upgrade, take inventory of what ERP modules your organization is permitted to use. Analyze exactly what the unused modules do to see if there is a benefit in configuring them to your organization.

3. Analyze current functionality and business process

Once again, for many organizations the original implementation was rapid. There is a good chance that not all features of the software were implemented effectively and, as a result, the system is underutilized. In addition, some of the functionality that is in use may not be working correctly, or business processes might be cumbersome. Interview the user community to find out what are the areas of concern well in advance of an upgrade.

4. Update policies, procedures, and documentation

When an application has been in use for a extensive period of time, inevitably business processes change. Often these changes are not documented or the existing documentation has not been updated. A review of an organization’s business processes should be compared to the documentation, and any updates that are required should be revisited.

5. Analyze workflows

Most likely the workflows that are in place have been functioning since you have been live on the application. Now is the time to see if the workflows are fulfilling the business and audit needs. They may need to be tweaked or completely redesigned. See if new enhancements in the latest release will impact the existing workflows.

6. Assess reports and forms

Are users satisfied with the existing reports and forms within the ERP applications? Is senior management satisfied with the reporting that they receive? An inventory of reports/forms should be taken to see the number of reports or forms that are being generated. Also, consider the following questions:

• What is the frequency of the report/form?
• Who receives it?
• Are they using it?
• Can it be eliminated?
• Is the report providing enough information as is?
• Do adjustments need to be made?
• Is the report delivery automated?

7. Establish a strong project team

A strong project team will consist of a project manager, a senior functional representative for each key module or area being upgraded, and senior IT resources to support the technical effort. Prior to the upgrade project seek out potential project team members. Choose people who want to be involved, have the appropriate skill set and will work well with the other team members.

8. Perform resource planning

What resources do you have that can work on the upgrade project? Which resources can be dedicated and which resources are part-time? Are there any other activities that need to be considered that can affect the potential resources (such as year-end)? This is important, as it will affect timelines, project charter, and project planning.

9. Establish executive buy-in and an execution strategy

Align the goals and objectives of the upgrade and the organization in order to meet the business objectives. Create a strong business case to ensure executive sponsorship. Build the upgrade project charter. This serves as your final upgrade plan and includes the following pieces:

• Project objectives
• Scope
• Timeline
• Change management strategy
• Infrastructure plan
• Project roles and responsibilities
• High-level project plan
• Budget

Symphony leads organizations through a series of critical steps, guided by industry best practices, to prepare them for an ERP upgrade that is not merely an IT project, but also a business transformation process.