ERP implementation checklist: 15 things to get right
Fifteen cheques across the five areas that decide whether an ERP implementation succeeds. Use them to confirm nothing important has been skipped
Fifteen cheques across the five areas that decide whether an ERP implementation succeeds. Use them to confirm nothing important has been skipped
An ERP implementation touches every process, every system, and nearly every team – which is why so many run late, cost more than planned, or land badly. Planning carefully for each of the ERP implementation phases helps, but plans are long and projects move fast. This checklist covers 15 things to get right, grouped into the five areas that most often decide the outcome: commitment to the solution and approach, the project team, governance, change and transformation, and data readiness. It is not a substitute for a full cloud ERP implementation plan – it is the quick reference you keep beside that plan, to confirm at any point that nothing important has been skipped.
The 15 points below are grouped into the five areas that most determine whether an ERP implementation succeeds. Each area opens with what it covers, then lists its numbered points. Read straight through the first time to see the whole picture – then come back to individual numbers as the project moves.
Define the outcomes you expect to achieve from your ERP project – as well as the capabilities and processes that best support them. This is where your roll-out priorities are decided, setting the direction of your implementation.
1. Define the business case in measurable operational terms
2. Plan how work will flow in the new system
3. Decide on scope, approach, and priorities
4. Set clear rules for configuration, extensions, and custom development
5. Identify priority automation and AI-supported workflows
Bring the right people together – and give them the time, resources, and backup coverage they need to carry the project from planning through to go-live.
6. Assign clear roles and ownership across the project team
7. Confirm the team has the capacity to deliver
Set the decision rights, oversight, and escalation paths that keep the project moving. When every scope, risk, and budget decision has a named owner, issues get resolved before they affect timelines.
8. Confirm executive buy-in, decision authority, and ongoing oversight
Get people and operations ready for real use. When training reflects real work and support is easy to access, teams are more likely to use the system as intended – from day one.
9. Assess change readiness
10. Prepare employees for new ways of working
11. Develop a training plan based on real roles and scenarios
12. Plan cutover, support, and continuous improvement
Ensure the system can operate reliably from day one. Clean data, tested integrations, and validated migrations help prevent issues once real transactions begin flowing.
13. Define integration architecture and validate key system connections
14. Assign data ownership and complete data preparation before migration
15. Test and validate the data migration
ERP implementations rarely fail on technology. They drift – scope creeps, decisions stall, data problems surface late, and people end up working around the new system instead of in it. Running through all 15 points at the start of the project – and again at each major milestone – is a low-effort way to catch that drift early. Use it to confirm that decisions have owners, groundwork has not been skipped, and the project is still moving in a direction the business can live with.
Want to learn more about ERP implementation phases?
Explore the 8 ERP implementation phases article to see how the work is organised, what happens at each stage, and how it all fits together.
See how Infor experts can help you implement, optimise, and maximise the value of your ERP investment.
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