As the final step to the implementation process, go-live/post-implementation is an essential step to business success.
So long as you have conducted the project planning and construction process properly, go-live should be fairly straightforward. However, a successful post-implementation can be more involved.
Preparing for the Go-Live
Along with monitoring the systems to ensure everything is going according to plan, the team needs to prepare for the go-live event. Before the go-live, the team should put together a checklist that discusses what tasks they need to do during post-implementation. Additionally, they should do a thorough assessment of the system to identify any risk areas they need to keep an eye on during the go-live and post-implementation. Finally, the team should maintain constant communication among themselves and with the future users, so everyone is ready for the go-live.
Post-Implementation Is More Than a Box to Check
While the project team may be tempted to leave the project at go-live and simply treat post-implementation as maintenance, in reality this step is crucial to ensure ongoing success of both the project and its application to the business. If the team does not properly perform the post-implementation step, technical errors may come up, or users may struggle to adopt the new system. Additionally, as this study indicates, simply using the post-implementation stage as maintenance as opposed to strategically employing the step to avoid excessive maintenance later can create high costs (see 2.4 Research Gap).1
As Smith states in an article on SAPMint, a post-implementation review provides the following benefits:2
- Spot aspects that need improvement, such as processes and user acceptance.
- Receive direct and indirect feedback to improve satisfaction.
- Ensure system is operating as intended, so the business achieves maximum benefit and ROI.
- Establish a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the SAP system, so the system continues to meet the business’s evolving needs.
- Ensure SAP governance and compliance.
However, the previously mentioned study also found that to achieve all of these benefits, management must be involved throughout the process, including post-implementation.1
As a result, we will provide insights and a basic breakdown, so top management can informedly participate in post-implementation. In particular, we will discuss the review process and major focus areas.
What to Focus On
At the end of the day, a successful post-implementation requires the team to actively monitor the project and look ahead. Regardless of how well the project was implemented, the team may have needed to postpone resolving certain issues or completing certain tasks.
A successful post implementation requires the team to focus strongly on three major areas.3
- Planning
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, a post-implementation incurs excessive maintenance costs if the team does not go about it strategically.
To ensure that the post-implementation includes a clear strategy and plan for the future, the team should first meet together and discuss which tasks need to be completed, and which ones are the most important. Additionally, the team should keep key stakeholders in the loop by continuing to update them on the post-implementation project status. Finally, before going through the steps of full training and data organization, the team should set aside the time to strategically plan which items are of priority, the deadline for these tasks, and who will address which area.
- Training
As the project introduces its new solution, users need to know how to successfully navigate the system to maintain productivity and avoid unnecessary errors or frustration. For instance, while users should ideally start to familiarize themselves with the system before go-live, they can only learn so much about the system before it is fully built.
Along with providing a basic walkthrough of the new system and a list of commonly asked questions, the project team should have someone who actively answers any questions. Additionally, the users should have access to a method to provide feedback, so the team can promptly resolve any issues with the system during the post-implementation stage. An easy-to-use survey tool is SAP for Me, which has simple assembly requirements and provides some insightful pre-loaded questions.4
- Logistics
While the bulk of the project is completed, even the most successful solution will have a few loose ends, improperly allocated data, etc.
For example, the team needs to ensure that all data from the old system is transferred to the new one properly, and that said data does not have duplicates or errors. Additionally, the team should adjust existing processes to the system and its capabilities, so the processes are streamlined and automated. The team should also monitor the software and hardware and keep any of the previously considered weaknesses in mind to prevent/swiftly remedy any hardware or software crashes. During this time, the team should also look through the list of any existing tasks that were not completed before go-live.
Conclusion
As a crucial step in the project implementation cycle, go-live/post-implementation determines whether users will adopt the new system successfully, whether data from the previous system is properly transferred, and whether the project will avoid excessive maintenance costs. Because of this, the team needs to approach this final step with a clear plan and business-oriented strategy. To ensure that the new system remains a quality solution for the business, the team should constantly research the current SAP/other ERP technologies and methods.
1 Systematic Literature Review of Critical Success Factors on Enterprise Resource Planning Post Implementation. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311975.2023.2264001
2 “The Ultimate Guide to SAP Post-Implementation Review.” https://www.sapmint.com/sap-post-implementation-review/
3 “10 Steps You Need to Carry out Post-ERP Implementation.” https://www.techtarget.com/searchERP/tip/10-steps-you-need-to-carry-out-post-ERP-implementation
4 “New Survey Option in SAP for Me Can Help Partners Improve Project Delivery.” https://blogs.sap.com/2023/11/30/new-survey-option-in-sap-for-me-can-help-partners-improve-project-delivery/
