ERP Readiness Checklist
The data, process, people and governance work that determines whether an ERP implementation succeeds, assessed honestly before you commit.
Who this is for
Managing directors, finance managers and operations leads considering an ERP implementation.
What you get
- A section-by-section readiness assessment covering data, process, people, systems and governance.
- The questions to ask a vendor and an implementer before committing.
- Guidance on what to do about each gap you find.
What is inside
The full contents are set out below, so the resource is useful whether or not you download the file.
1. Business readiness
- Is there a named project sponsor with authority to make process decisions?
- Are the business objectives written down and measurable?
- Is management time budgeted for workshops, testing and training?
- Is there agreement on what success looks like?
- Is the timing realistic against other business commitments?
2. Data readiness
- Are customer and supplier lists de-duplicated and current?
- Is the item or service list free of obsolete records?
- Can bank, receivable, payable and stock balances be reconciled today?
- Is it clear what history must be migrated and what can be left behind?
- Who owns data cleansing, and is that time allocated?
3. Process readiness
- Are the key processes documented, even roughly?
- Are approval authorities defined in writing?
- Are there known process failures that should be fixed before automating?
- Has anyone mapped order to cash and procure to pay end to end?
- Are the workarounds identified? They are the real process.
4. Reporting readiness
- What questions must the system answer each month?
- What dimensions are needed: branch, project, product, department?
- Which reports must exist at go-live rather than later?
- Who will own report maintenance?
- Has the chart of accounts been designed or simply inherited?
5. People readiness
- Who will own the system internally after go-live?
- Have key users been identified for each department?
- Is training time scheduled rather than assumed?
- Is there cover for staff during training and cut-over?
- Has the effect on roles been discussed?
6. Systems and infrastructure readiness
- Is connectivity adequate at every site that needs access?
- Are integrations identified, with owners on the other side?
- Is the hosting and backup arrangement agreed?
- Are access roles and permissions designed?
- Is there a test environment for user acceptance testing?
7. Governance readiness
- Is there a written scope, including exclusions?
- Is there a decision log and a risk log?
- Are change requests controlled rather than absorbed?
- Is the cut-over plan agreed, including who does what on the day?
- Is post-go-live support defined with a named contact?
8. Vendor and implementer questions
- What is not included in the quoted scope?
- What has gone wrong on comparable implementations, and why?
- What will you need from us, and by when?
- What happens if the project runs late?
- What do we own at the end of the project?
These resources are general guidance, not advice on your specific circumstances. Where a topic touches on statutory requirements, confirm the current position with a qualified adviser.
Discuss your ERP project
The resource explains the method. A consultation applies it to your business — and costs nothing.