{"id":1489,"date":"2021-06-16T15:47:09","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T15:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.logicdata.com\/?p=1489"},"modified":"2023-01-23T14:44:52","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T14:44:52","slug":"reality-of-erp-implementation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.logicdata.com\/reality-of-erp-implementation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reality (Not the Hype) of ERP Implementation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Wouldn\u2019t it be great if we could wave a magic wand and our enterprise would suddenly turn into a model of efficiency and profitability? Well, we don\u2019t, so it has to be done the \u201cold-fashioned way\u201d with engineering, know-how and just plain hard work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ERP Implementation is like that. We would all love it if someone could come in, wave their magic wand and make implementation dreams come true, with little to no effort. We certainly wish it could go this way, but as Colin Powell said, \u201cA dream doesn\u2019t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manufacturing is complex. Your company is also complex, and probably has unique processes that make a 100% out of the box solution unfeasible at best. All of these things need to be taken into account when implementing your ERP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of an ERP implementation, much of what is going to happen is a bit of a mystery. At LogicData, we not only have expert implementation consultants, we also have a very specific implementation process that we developed over three decades of successful implementation. This includes Conference Room Piloting, training, and a post implementation review, to name just a few of the components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to help you understand what an ERP implementation actually entails, here are the steps you will be undertaking in your ERP implementation (link here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Implementation Planning and System Installation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this step we get familiar with the key players of your team and gain the knowledge we need to plan an implementation that fits your needs. Our professional services manager and an application consultant will come on-site to conduct interviews, discuss how you use your current system, how it can be improved upon, or how we can fit your current processes into SyteLine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this time, we want to know the pain points, inefficiencies, missing functionality, and \u201cmust haves\u201d so we can prioritize these areas during the implementation. We also determine which members of your team will comprise the \u201ccore team\u201d. The Core Team will be responsible for attending all scheduled project sessions, and will ultimately be responsible for conducting the SyteLine training for the remainder of your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this meeting, LogicData Project Management along with your management team will create a project scope. Using this scope, LogicData will create a detailed project plan that includes all the required project tasks in order of completion, and who is responsible for those tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneously, our technical team will work with your technical lead to provision your new SyteLine Environment. This step in the implementation is crucial and needs to be performed correctly in order for the implementation to start off on the right note. The goal is simple: to install and configure the SyteLine products in a manner that allows the system administrator to manage and maintain the software during the educational phase of the project. As part of the delivery and set up LogicData will train the administrator on how to manage the system during the early weeks of the implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Education and Conference Room Piloting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This step entails training your team in each functional area of the SyteLine and testing out your processes and procedures. The objective of our education strategy is to provide a baseline understanding to each team member of the functions and integration issues related to their functional area(s). Where practical and appropriate, all core implementation team members will attend all training sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During training, you will have many questions about how the software will be used in your specific environment, however, those details will not be covered in training, but instead will be covered during several  Conference Room Pilots. There are two types of Conference Room Pilots: Vertical and Horizontal, click here<\/a> for more info.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Vertical Conference Room Pilot is used to simulate one functional area of your business. In these pilots you will review and change required business procedures, determine if you need any modifications, test out the critical reports you will need to use, and discuss the data that will need to be converted from your current system into Syteline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you perform a vertical CRP for each area of your business, a Horizontal Pilot will be performed as an end to end test. It will reproduce a slice of your company across many modules, departments and disciplines to ensure converted data is correct as well as validate your integrations, modifications and custom reports. The primary focus of this pilot is to test the relationships between modules and the flow of accurate data across modules. This will also include testing of your written and automated procedures to ensure they are accurate, complete and detailed enough for your user community to follow in order to perform their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diagram below displays how the pilots will flow in a typical implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Operating procedures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned above, one of the most important deliverables from each vertical CRP will be your operating procedure documentation. Your core team will develop these processes during the implementation and use the documentation for end user training prior to Go Live and beyond. These documents should be continuously updated as changes are made to your process flows. Below are some key elements to include in your process documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n