How to implement an ERP in an SME without disrupting the business

ERP projects have a bad reputation among SMEs: too long, too expensive, too risky. People picture months of upheaval during which the business slows to a crawl and teams juggle two systems. Yet an ERP implementation can be done gradually, without interrupting orders or deliveries.

The key is not the tool but the method: observe how you work today, move forward module by module and switch over in stages. Here is the approach we follow, the pitfalls to avoid, and a concrete case.

What does an ERP actually do for an SME?

An ERP (enterprise resource planning) brings the main management functions together in a single system: orders, stock, purchasing, production, deliveries and invoicing, for example. They all share the same data.

For an SME, the benefits show up every day:

• no more double entry: an order recorded once feeds production, delivery and the invoice;
• up-to-date stock levels, instead of a stock count that never quite matches the spreadsheet;
• automatically generated documents: delivery notes, invoices, regulatory documents;
• a real-time overview of sales, margins and activity.

The sign that it is time to think about one: the same order goes through several files, several people re-key it, and nobody knows exactly where it stands. That is the problem our ERP projects solve, with a custom tool or off-the-shelf software adapted to your business.

The ERP takes over after the sale. If your difficulties start earlier, with quotes nobody follows up or contacts scattered everywhere, also read the 7 signs your SME needs a CRM.

A step-by-step method for an ERP project without disruption

1. Follow a real order from start to finish

Before talking about software, we take a recent order and follow it from quote to invoice. Who enters what? In which file? How many times is the same information copied? At which stages does the order sit waiting?

This simple exercise brings out the re-keying, the waiting times and the recurring errors. It also provides a baseline for measuring the gain, for example the time spent on each order.

2. Start with the module that saves the most time

There is no need to build everything at once. We start with the module that weighs most on your day-to-day work: depending on the company, order management, stock or invoicing. Four criteria help choose it:

• the frequency of the task;
• the time it takes today;
• the errors it produces;
• its impact on your customers: delays, things forgotten, invoices to correct.

A first module in service brings a visible gain quickly, and gives the teams confidence for what comes next.

3. Prepare the data migration

Customers, suppliers, items, stock, open orders: your existing data must arrive in the new tool clean and complete. This work takes more care than people imagine. To do this, we:

• decide with you what needs to be migrated, and what can simply be archived;
• clean and deduplicate the files;
• run trial imports, checked by the people who know the data;
• verify the key figures (stock, open orders, customer balances) before the switch-over.

4. Involve and train the users

An ERP is used every day by your teams. Their feedback matters from the design stage onwards: they are the ones who know the exceptions and special cases that nobody has ever written down.

Training is based on examples taken from their own work, just before go-live. An in-house point of contact then takes over for everyday questions.

5. Switch over in stages

Go-live happens module by module and, if needed, team by team or site by site. For each stage, we plan:

• a date chosen outside peak periods;
• a short checking period, in which the results are compared with the old method;
• a rollback plan in case something goes wrong;
• close follow-up during the first few weeks.

Until a module is ready, the current organisation keeps running. That is what makes it possible to move forward without disrupting the business.

The pitfalls that derail an ERP implementation

• Trying to change everything at once. The “big bang” concentrates all the risk on a single date: if something breaks, everything breaks at the same time.
• Choosing the tool before understanding the need. An attractive demo says nothing about the way you work.
• Copying old workarounds. Transferring your spreadsheets into an ERP means keeping their flaws. The project is an opportunity to simplify.
• Neglecting data quality. The duplicates and errors of the old file end up in the new tool, and undermine the teams’ confidence.
• Forgetting the users. A tool designed without the people who use it ends up being bypassed, often by… a new spreadsheet.
• Not appointing an internal lead. You need someone on your side who settles questions and drives the project.

Innova Home, in Morocco: from paper and spreadsheets to a single tool

At Innova Home, orders were managed on paper and in Excel spreadsheets. From 2016 to 2018, our founder, Anass Chabbab, then a freelance software engineer, remotely designed custom software that brought all of this management together in a single tool.

The result: more than 50% time saved on handling each order.

This case illustrates a simple idea: for an SME, the biggest gain doesn’t necessarily come from sophisticated features, but from putting an end to re-keying between paper and spreadsheets. Read the Innova Home case study.

What to check before launching your ERP

Make sure you have:

• a real order followed and described from start to finish;
• a first module chosen, with a measurable goal (time per order, number of errors);
• an internal lead available to make decisions;
• key users involved from the start;
• the list of data to migrate, and a plan to clean it;
• a go-live date outside peak periods;
• a training plan, and support planned for the first few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ERP really suitable for an SME?

Yes, provided it is sized for it. An ERP isn’t only for large companies: an SME can start with the modules that save it the most time, then add the others as needed. Often, the first gain simply comes from moving away from paper and spreadsheets.

How long does an ERP implementation take?

It depends on the scope, which we define together. With a module-by-module approach, your teams use the first module well before the end of the project. As an example, the custom CRM/ERP of a Sydney law firm had its first go-live in under six months.

Off-the-shelf ERP or custom ERP?

An off-the-shelf ERP is a good fit when your processes follow the standard practices of your sector: it then just needs configuring and connecting to your tools. Custom development is justified when your organisation has steps or rules that the tool would force you to work around. You can also keep an off-the-shelf ERP and develop the modules specific to you alongside it. To decide, see our criteria for choosing between off-the-shelf and custom software.

In short

The success of an ERP isn’t decided on go-live day but by the method: start from a real order, begin with the module that saves the most time, take care of the data, involve the teams and switch over in stages. Your business keeps running while the new tool is being built.

Considering an ERP, or simply want to move off spreadsheets? Book a free 30-minute discovery call: together, we work out which module to start with and, if it is useful, we then propose an audit on the basis of a quote.