Disconnected systems
Sales, stock, payroll and the ledger live in different places, so nobody can see the whole picture without a day of manual work.
Systems implementation
ERP & Accounting Software Implementation
Most businesses do not fail with software because they bought the wrong product. They fail because nobody designed how the business would run inside it. We take an accounting-led approach to implementation: we start with how money moves through your business, then configure the system to reflect that reality, then migrate the data and train the people who will use it every day.
Who this service is for
- Growing businesses whose accounting software no longer covers stock, purchasing, projects or production.
- Finance teams running month-end from spreadsheets because the system cannot produce the reports management needs.
- Organisations running two or more disconnected systems and re-keying the same data between them.
- Businesses preparing to migrate from a legacy platform such as Tally, an old Sage installation, or an unsupported desktop accounting package.
- Groups with several registered entities or branches that need consolidation and consistent controls.
- Boards and investors requiring reporting and access controls that a basic accounting package cannot provide.
The problems this addresses
Duplicate data entry
The same invoice is typed into two or three systems, which multiplies both the workload and the error rate.
Reports that arrive too late
Month-end closes two or three weeks after the month, by which time the numbers no longer support a decision.
Stock you cannot trust
The system says one thing, the warehouse says another, and nobody can explain the difference.
A chart of accounts that grew by accident
Codes added over the years by different people, so comparable reporting across periods or branches is impossible.
Software chosen without a proper assessment
A purchase made on a demonstration rather than on your requirements, leaving gaps that get filled with spreadsheets.
Scope and deliverables
A typical engagement moves through these work packages. Scope is agreed in writing before any configuration begins, and each work package has defined outputs you keep whether or not you continue with us.
-
Requirements assessment
Structured workshops with finance, operations, sales and management. We document current processes, decision points, statutory requirements, reporting needs, user roles and volumes. Output: a written requirements specification with priorities.
-
Software selection support
Where the platform is not yet decided, we build a scored comparison against your requirements covering functionality, total cost of ownership, deployment options, local statutory fit, integration capability and vendor viability. Output: a recommendation with reasons, including the options we rejected and why.
-
Process mapping
We map the processes that matter — order to cash, procure to pay, stock movement, payroll, project and contract billing — and identify where approvals, controls and automation belong. Output: as-is and to-be process maps with control points marked.
-
System configuration
Company set-up, tax configuration, document series, approval workflows, user roles and permissions, custom fields, and the specific behaviour each department needs. Output: a configured environment plus a configuration record explaining each decision.
-
Chart of accounts design
A ledger structure built for reporting, not just for posting: cost centres or dimensions for branch, project or product line, clear account groupings, and mapping from the old structure. Output: chart of accounts with reporting hierarchy and mapping table.
-
Data migration
Extraction, cleansing, de-duplication and transformation of customers, suppliers, items, opening balances and, where agreed, historical transactions. Output: migration scripts, a cleansing log and reconciliation of source to target.
-
Opening balance validation
Bank, receivables, payables, stock and tax balances agreed to the signed prior accounts and to third-party confirmations. Output: an opening balance reconciliation signed off by your finance lead.
-
Integrations
Payment gateways, banking feeds, payroll, e-commerce, point of sale, logistics providers and any specialist system that must keep working. Output: documented interfaces with error handling and a monitoring routine.
-
Reporting and dashboards
The management pack you actually review, plus operational reports for each department. We build them in the system rather than in spreadsheets wherever the platform allows. Output: report library with definitions and refresh instructions.
-
User training
Role-based training rather than a single generic session, with written procedures your team keeps. Output: training delivered plus a procedure manual per role.
-
Testing
User acceptance testing against real scenarios, including the awkward ones — part payments, credit notes, returns, multi-currency, inter-company. Output: a test script, results log and sign-off.
-
Go-live and hypercare
Cut-over plan, parallel running where warranted, a named point of contact for the first weeks, and daily review of exceptions. Output: go-live confirmation and an exceptions log closed out.
-
Post-implementation support
Agreed support window, then an optional retainer covering updates, additional users, report changes and periodic control review.
How the engagement works
-
Discovery conversation
A focused call or meeting to understand the business, the trigger for the project and what success looks like. No charge, no obligation.
-
Assessment
We review your current processes, data and systems, and interview the people who use them. This is where most failed implementations are prevented.
-
Scope and proposal
A written scope, phased plan, deliverables, responsibilities and fee basis. We set out what is excluded as clearly as what is included.
-
Design and configuration
We build the solution in a test environment while your team continues on the current system.
-
Data and testing
Migration rehearsals, then user acceptance testing with your people, on your scenarios.
-
Training and go-live
Role-based training, cut-over, and close support through the first month-end on the new system.
-
Review and support
A structured review against the objectives we agreed at the start, then ongoing support on agreed terms.
What we need from you
Preparation is where most engagements are won or lost. The more of this you can gather before we start, the faster the work goes and the more accurately we can scope it.
- A named project sponsor with authority to make process decisions — not only IT or finance sign-off.
- Access to the current system, and to the spreadsheets that sit alongside it.
- The last two sets of annual accounts and the most recent management accounts.
- Current customer, supplier and item lists, in whatever form they exist.
- Agreed time from departmental leads for workshops and testing. Implementation fails on availability more often than on technology.
- A decision on what history must be migrated and what can be left in the old system for reference.
What you can reasonably expect
- One record of each transaction, visible to every department that needs it.
- Management reports produced by the system rather than assembled by hand.
- Fewer manual touchpoints between sales, operations and the ledger.
- Clear approval limits and an audit trail of changes.
- A ledger structure that supports branch, project or product analysis.
- Staff who can use the system without depending on one person.
- A documented configuration you can hand to any future adviser.
These are the outcomes the work is designed to produce. We do not promise a specific percentage saving or a fixed payback period, because both depend on how the business uses the system after go-live.
What affects fees and timelines
We do not publish a price list. The drivers below vary too much between businesses for a published figure to be honest — and a price quoted before an assessment is usually wrong in one direction or the other.
| Factor | How it affects the engagement |
|---|---|
| Number of modules in scope | Accounting alone is a fraction of the work involved in accounting, stock, purchasing, manufacturing and payroll. |
| Data quality and volume | Cleaning a decade of inconsistent customer and item records is often the single largest task in a migration. |
| Process complexity | Multi-branch approvals, inter-company trading, sub-contracting and project billing all add design and testing effort. |
| Number of entities and currencies | Consolidation and multi-currency handling require additional configuration and testing. |
| Integrations required | Each interface adds build, testing and error-handling work, particularly where the other system is undocumented. |
| User count and locations | Training across sites and shift patterns takes longer than a single central session. |
| Availability of your team | The most common cause of slippage. We plan around realistic availability rather than optimistic availability. |
| Historical data migrated | Opening balances only is far faster than migrating several years of transactions. |
We quote after the assessment, on a fixed-fee basis for defined work packages or a day rate for advisory and support work. Licences and hosting are quoted separately and are normally contracted directly between you and the platform provider.
Software and industries this service applies to
Platforms we commonly work with for this service
Sectors we apply this service in
Retail & Distribution
Manufacturing
Real Estate & Construction
Logistics & Business Services
NGOs & Donor-Funded Organisations
Frequently asked questions
How long does an ERP implementation take?
It depends on modules, data quality and how quickly decisions are made. A focused single-entity accounting implementation is measured in weeks; a multi-module, multi-site project is measured in months. We give you a phased plan with the dependencies named, rather than a single date we cannot guarantee.
Can we keep using our current software during implementation?
Yes, and you should. We build and test in a separate environment while you continue operating. Cut-over is planned, and for larger projects we run both systems in parallel for a period so the numbers can be compared before the old system is retired.
Do we have to migrate all our history?
Usually not. Most businesses migrate opening balances plus the current year, and keep the old system available read-only for reference. We help you decide what genuinely needs to move, because migrating unnecessary history adds cost and risk.
What if we have not chosen a platform yet?
That is a normal starting point. We run a requirements assessment and a scored comparison first, and we will recommend against a platform if it does not fit — including recommending a simpler, cheaper product than an ERP where that is the honest answer.
Who owns the configuration work?
You do. Configuration records, process maps, report definitions and procedure manuals are delivered to you. If you later move to another adviser, they inherit documentation rather than guesswork.
Do you sell licences?
Generally no. Licences are normally purchased by you directly from the provider, so that your commercial relationship, pricing and support entitlement sit with the business that owns the data. We focus on implementation and support. Where a reseller arrangement exists we disclose it in writing before any purchase.
What happens after go-live?
An agreed support window covering defects and questions, then an optional retainer for updates, new users, report changes and periodic control review. The first month-end on a new system always raises questions, and you should have someone to ask.
Let’s build a stronger financial foundation for your business.
Tell us what you are dealing with. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, what it would involve and what it would cost.