An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programme go-live is the beginning, not the end

Executive summary

Transitioning an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system from on-premise to the cloud signifies a significant organisational transformation. However, the go-live milestone should be viewed as the beginning rather than the end of the ERP journey. An effective Target Operating Model for post-go-live support is critical for ensuring effective solution management and maximising benefits. Neglecting this phase can lead to operational risks and financial implications. 

In this whitepaper written by Jess Browne, Socitm Advisory’s Head of ERP Delivery, we cover: 

Key considerations for post-implementation support: 

• Understanding the impact of system and solution change and transitioning to a cloud-based support model 
• Planning for necessary tools, technologies, and skills required post-implementation 
• Embracing a product-focused, agile approach for continuous improvement 
• Assessing investments, restructuring support and business teams, and governing infrastructure responsibility under the SaaS model. 

Engaging in post-implementation support:  

• Early consideration of the Target Operating Model for post-implementation support within the ERP programme 
• Seeking advice from strategic partners for tailored support 
• Collaboratively developing a roadmap for support development, addressing immediate needs and long-term strategies 
• Developing support options considering existing capabilities, whether through managed services or in-house development. 

Choosing the right partner: 

• Aligning with a suitable partner for post-implementation support early in the process to maximise value 
• Carefully evaluating partner capabilities beyond the implementation phase for optimal support delivery 

Read this informative and insightful whitepaper in full below. 

An ERP programme go-live is the beginning, not the end

After an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) programme of work successfully goes live, most people breathe a big sigh of relief, and some perhaps, don’t want to talk about ERP for a while! For sure, the scale of a programme which moves your ERP from on-premise to the cloud should not be underestimated, after all it is a council-wide transformation that involves stakeholders from across the organisation in process and technology change.  

However, the programme go-live should be considered the beginning of the journey, not the end, says Jess Browne, Socitm Advisory’s Head of ERP delivery. So let’s look at that, why is post go-live so important? 

Ensure you can manage the system

Overlooking the support you need post-go-live, or post-implementation, is setting your organisation up to fail. You will be putting your organisation at risk of not being able to manage its ERP system.  

And that’s because the support model you may need as an organisation post-go-live of a cloud-based ERP programme could be very different than what you have with your on-premise system. 

You need to understand the impact of the change; the types of roles you need and the processes you will need post-go-live, how you need governance to work, how it shifts the operating model, and you should consider that well before go-live by ensuring it is a workstream of the main implementation programme. 

Failure to do that could mean you are unable to manage system incidents, which could mean an inability to pay staff and suppliers or your processes are not working. So there could be a real impact on users of the system, along with associated reputation and financial risk. 

Actively plan your requirement support

Best-practice is to consider what support you will need post-implementation all the way through your programme from the development of the business case through procurement and into implementation.

Understand the impact of the system change

How you manage your ERP system in the future will fundamentally change once you have moved from on-premise to the cloud.  

You need to consider how you are going to manage continuous improvement in the future, particularly system updates which can be mandatory. You will need to change your fundamental approach from a project focus to a product focus post-implementation, which needs to be agile. And that’s because the pace of change with your cloud system will be much quicker; you will no longer have large system upgrades every 3 or 5 years, they could now be every quarter. And you need to have the right structure and governance in place to handle that, to ensure that ongoing change is impact assessed against your processes. 

Failure to consider these areas means you will be unlikely to deliver the anticipated benefits of the new cloud-based system on an ongoing basis. 

Getting started with post-implementation support

To ensure success, you should consider your approach to post-implementation through the ERP programme. And you will likely have considered the areas depicted below. 

Fig 1. Socitm Advisory ERP post-implementation organisational areas of consideration wheel

However, if you are mid-ERP programme and you haven’t yet considered these areas, you might want to consider seeking advice from a strategic partner, like Socitm Advisory. 

ERP advisory and delivery from Socitm Advisory

Socitm Advisory consultants have successfully supported complex ERP programmes for over 35 UK councils, which means we have the expertise and experience to support your ERP programme post-implementation. 

The starting point for an engagement on post-implementation support will begin with an assessment of your Target Operating Model for support, considering the areas outlined in the diagram above; insight, innovation, people, systems, process and governance. 

Then, we’ll co-produce a roadmap for development which outlines what needs to happen now, including any urgent support needed to resolve incidents and a maturity roadmap, to build the skills in-house, if needed, as well as developing an ongoing continuous approach. 

And one size doesn’t fit all. What you need in terms of support will depend on what you already have in place. You may already have a good support model in place, that gives you a platform to grow from. Or you may not, and you may want to start off with a managed service whilst you build your own capability in-house.  

Our assessment will help you to identify which option is best for you now, next and in the future. Some of the cloud support functions we will consider are shown in the diagram below.

Fig 2. ERP cloud support function considerations

Choosing the right partner

It’s really key that you don’t leave it until the last minute to align a partner to post-implementation support. If you extend an existing partnership late into the engagement you will reduce your ability to negotiate to get best value. 

And consider your partner carefully. Your implementation partner may or may not be best-placed to offer post-implementation support, so consider your requirements and who is best suited to deliver them. 

In conclusion

Think about it – an ERP programme is a huge financial and human resources investment. To ensure success you do need to consider good governance, programme management, change management and communications. But stop at go-live, and for the reasons outlined in this paper, it’s unlikely your investment will be maximised. Give post-implementation support due consideration and you are likely to have a successful programme, and be realising your anticipated benefits on an ongoing basis. 

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