10 mistakes you MUST avoid in your ERP project

Your company can scale in a completely crazy way when your ERP projects succeed. Unfortunately, though, that is far from being the case every time.

Many of our customers come to us after failed ERP projects and frustrations with their current setup. Far from every ERP project succeeds.

That is why you should read this list.
We have collected 10 mistakes you MUST avoid in your ERP project.

Avoid these mistakes, and feel the huge difference a successful project can make for you and your company.

1. Poor planning

All successful projects start with good planning. When we talk about planning in an ERP context, it is not enough to agree that “now is the time and here is a deadline”. Much more is required.

Developing the right integrations takes time, and unforeseen costs, changes to the deadline and challenges lying in wait are more the rule than the exception. But if you make sure you have the overview from the start, that you have a sensible budget with room for ups and downs, and that you have enough time before the deadline so you do not get stressed by unforeseen challenges along the way — well, then you are well on your way.

2. Far too high expectations

An ERP project can certainly push the boundaries of what is possible in your eCommerce business. But it cannot perform magic.
So keep your expectations at a level that is realistic. Write down an alignment of expectations with all stakeholders, and make sure everyone agrees and knows what they can expect once the project is finished. If you do not, you end up with a product that cannot do what you were counting on, which means everyone has to spend extra time making corrections. That sort of thing takes a really long time and can ultimately cost you a lot of money. Align expectations — it is mega important.

3. Unhealthy data

The foundation of a well-functioning ERP system is healthy data. If you do not have that, your ERP will not work optimally, and your project will therefore be difficult to complete. Remember this: an ERP system is complex software, and if it is not treated the way it was designed to be, or if the system is given poor or incorrect data, then the system will give you corresponding results. Poor or incorrect.
Make sure your data is in order before you start developing on your ERP system.

4. Lack of user training

Your ERP system is only as good as the people who use it. You can pull all the quality data you like out of your system, but if the users do not understand the features, the point of them, what the system can be used for and how to move on from there, then your ERP system is not worth much.Invest in training the users. It will definitely pay off. You avoid annoying mistakes, and the time from the start of the project to an implemented, functional and flying system becomes far shorter.

5. Lack of involvement

Who knows the system best?

Is it the people who build the technical setup, or the people who sit and use it every day? We could easily give you a hint, but we think you already see where we are going.
If you do not involve the users of your ERP system, you miss out on a lot of easy wins. They can quickly confirm or rule out the importance of particular focus areas and can even come up with previously unimagined scenarios that put the project in a completely new light. Make sure to involve the users. It saves you time and money at the other end, where the users end up suggesting changes to an otherwise finished project.

6. Mismatch with the company’s processes

It is easy to become snow-blind by all the great possibilities in your ERP system. Why settle for the small package when you can take the big one? Hold your horses. Remember to consider whether the changes you want to make match the company’s processes and guidelines. Just try to picture it. You have started a huge project that is supposed to turn the company’s ERP system upside down, but it gets shot down halfway to the finish line because it does not fit the company’s processes and guidelines at all. That is a real shame.
Save yourself the tuition fee and make sure the project fits the company.

7. Unforeseen costs for customisation

It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Making a button that does a — on the surface — simple thing. Surely the supplier can knock that up quickly? It surely does not cost anything? It is a huge mistake to think that simple customised tools cost nothing. It takes both a lot of time and expertise to build solutions specifically for you and your company. As soon as specific services like this are added to your project, you move into new pricing. It often takes people by surprise, and it is not fun. Make sure you know what the project costs as a whole, and what the customised measures cost on their own. That way you avoid a nasty surprise when the bill arrives.

8. Inadequate testing

A huge part of software development and ERP optimisation is testing. If there is not enough testing, you are pretty much certain to run into problems. Make sure your project is thoroughly tested before it goes out to the users. If you do not, you will experience a lot of problems that have to be solved, and you will become the bottleneck in that process. Tests help cure the first and worst teething troubles your ERP project meets before it is out there performing. Do not send an unfinished project out to the users. That is completely nuts, really.

9. Poor communication

A common thread through all the points on this list is that if you want to succeed with your project, you have to focus on communication. Make sure you have a hook in all the stakeholders in all phases of the project. That is important for securing the project’s success. At the same time you avoid wasted work, because the stakeholders know what you are doing at all times and sign off on it. Communication creates success. It is that simple.

10. Lack of maintenance

The project is now finished, and fortunately it went well. But the party does not end here. If you do not continuously make sure that your ERP system works at the right frequency, measures the right things and captures the right data, you suddenly find yourself with a huge clean-up job. Companies change. Their data changes shape, processes are digitalised and roles disappear. All of that has a huge impact on how your ERP system works. Make sure you keep an eye on whether your ERP system is fit and healthy.

Talk to us about your next integration project, Connectify has many years of experience with ERP systems.

There is no integration project we cannot do, because we have our heads buried so deep in this specialisation that we have given up all hope of seeing daylight again.

If you are sitting with an outdated system and considering a new one, but are missing an ERP partner – you may benefit from reading our Guide: Choose the right ERP partner
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