ERP process-first guide
ERP Implementation Consultant: Process First, Software Second
An ERP implementation consultant can configure the software. The harder question is whether the operating model behind it works. My principle is that technology doesn't fix a broken operating model, so you redesign the model first.
On this page
- What an ERP implementation consultant should do before configuring anything
- Why ERP implementations go wrong when the process is left alone
- Copying the process versus redesigning it
- A process-first ERP project, step by step
- A worked example: the Odoo ERP case study
- Follow the order from customer to invoice
- Results reported for the case study
- What to ask an ERP implementation consultant before you sign
- Frequently asked questions
What an ERP implementation consultant should do before configuring anything
An ERP implementation consultant should establish how your business actually works before configuring any software.
An ERP system can bring accounting, sales, orders and production into one connected system. Its value depends on the processes it carries. If those processes are duplicated, manual or unclear, the software can carry the mess faster.
I hold one principle about this. Technology doesn't fix a broken operating model. The operating model has to be redesigned first, and then technology can make the new model dramatically more powerful.
That order also applies when you choose help. A consultant who starts with configuration may skip the question that decides the result.
Include the people who do the work in that discovery. The staff who handle orders, production and billing often know the workarounds that documents leave out.
Why ERP implementations go wrong when the process is left alone
ERP implementations can go wrong when the software copies existing processes, including the broken ones.
A company that has outgrown its systems shows familiar signs. Among the symptoms I list are too many spreadsheets, broken handoffs and processes that live inside people's heads. An ERP may not remove those signs by itself.
Each department may also write its own requirements list. Without a shared view of the whole flow, those lists can conflict or leave gaps between departments.
Failure patterns worth watching for include:
- The current process is copied into the new system, duplicate steps included.
- Handoffs between departments stay manual, so people still re-type data.
- Nobody owns the redesigned process after the system goes live.
- Each department configures its own corner, so the flow between them breaks.
- Scope grows because nobody decided which processes should exist.
- Staff keep side spreadsheets because they do not trust the new system.
Copying the process versus redesigning it
An ERP project can take different approaches. This table compares copying the current process with ERP process redesign.
| Question | Copy the current process | Redesign first |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | The current process and its workarounds. | How the business actually works, and what it should do. |
| Duplicate and manual steps | Carried into the new system. | Found, questioned and removed or automated where they add no value. |
| Handoffs | Often stay manual between departments. | Redesigned so information moves once, digitally. |
| Ownership | Often unclear after go-live. | A named owner for each redesigned process. |
| What the software does | Speeds up what already happens. | Carries a simpler, connected model. |
A process-first ERP project, step by step
The first five steps follow the method in the case study below. General practice is marked where it is added.
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Understand how the business actually works
Start with how work really runs. Map processes and workflows, roles and responsibilities, and the flow of information and data.
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Find the manual and duplicate work
Look for manual and duplicate activities, handoffs between departments, bottlenecks and sources of delay. Note the existing technology and systems behind each one.
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Capture what each function needs
Record the manufacturing and production requirements, the sales and order-entry process, and the accounting and billing process.
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Redesign before you configure
Redesign the processes to remove unnecessary steps and simplify workflows. The rule: if a process does not add value, eliminate it. If it can be simplified, simplify it. If it can be automated, automate it.
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Select the platform to fit the redesign
Choose the platform to bring the redesigned business together. General practice: judge each candidate against the redesigned model when you choose an ERP.
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Name an owner for each redesigned process
General practice: give every redesigned process a named owner who keeps it current. Without an owner, a process can drift back to old habits after go-live.
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Configure, connect and test end to end
General practice: configure the system to the new design and connect the handoffs. Test complete orders from start to finish before go-live.
A worked example: the Odoo ERP case study
At one organization, I helped transform a fragmented operation. I redesigned its accounting, sales, order entry and manufacturing processes around an integrated Odoo ERP platform.
My role was Business Transformation Consultant and Fractional Executive. The Odoo ERP case study covers the engagement in full.
The redesign changed the sales, order entry, manufacturing, accounting and operations processes.
The first step was to understand how the business actually worked, before any platform was chosen. I assessed:
- Existing processes and workflows
- Roles and responsibilities
- Information and data flows
- Manual and duplicate activities
- Handoffs between departments
- Existing technology and systems
- Bottlenecks and sources of delay
- Manufacturing and production requirements
- Sales and order-entry processes
- Accounting and billing processes
Follow the order from customer to invoice
After the assessment and redesign, Odoo was selected to bring the redesigned business together. Customers could then configure products online and have those orders flow directly into production and billing. An ERP project can involve a version of this chain. Walk it and ask where a person still re-types or re-interprets data.
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Customer configures the product online
The order starts with the customer's own configuration. Ask what information you need at this point to build the order correctly.
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The order is captured automatically
The order enters the system without anyone re-keying it. Where do orders still arrive by email, phone or spreadsheet?
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The configuration flows into the ERP
The specification travels with the order. Ask where anyone must interpret or re-enter it.
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Production requirements are generated
The system produces what must be made from the configuration. Does production still rely on someone's judgment or memory?
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The product moves into manufacturing
Work reaches production with its details attached. Ask what happens when a configuration changes after the order is placed.
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The order is completed and billed
Invoicing follows from the completed order. Ask whether finance still rebuilds the order from other records.
Results reported for the case study
- 250% Increase in operating efficiency
- Doubled Throughput
- 25% Increase in profitability
What to ask an ERP implementation consultant before you sign
The questions you ask an ERP implementation consultant early will show where they start. A good answer describes how they will learn how your business works before they touch the configuration.
Process redesign often needs an owner who stays after the project. Process improvement and technology decisions are both part of my Fractional COO engagement. The AI transformation tier adds technology architecture and vendor selection.
A business operating system sets out the routines, roles and measures around the processes an ERP will carry.
After go-live, someone needs to watch the measures and keep the redesigned flow honest. A regular review rhythm helps stop the new model drifting back to old habits.
If you would rather work through your own systems with someone, start a conversation. Whoever you choose, ask them these questions first:
- How will you learn how our business actually works before you configure anything?
- Which processes will we remove or simplify, and which will we keep?
- Who owns each redesigned process after go-live?
- Where will data still be re-typed between departments after the project?
- How will you test a complete order from start to finish?
- Who decides when a scope change is worth making?
Frequently asked questions
Why do ERP implementations fail?
ERP implementations can fail for several reasons, including configuring the software around existing processes without asking whether they should exist. Duplicate steps, manual handoffs and unclear ownership can carry over into the new system. Redesigning the process first can reduce that risk.
Should you redesign processes before implementing an ERP?
You should redesign your processes before implementing an ERP. My principle is that technology doesn't fix a broken operating model. The model is redesigned first, and then technology can make it more powerful. In the case study, the assessment and redesign came before the platform was chosen.
What should an ERP connect?
An ERP can connect the steps between a customer's order and the invoice, along with other functions. Data should be entered once and flow on. In the case study, that chain ran from online product configuration through production to billing. Start by mapping where people still re-type data.
What does an ERP implementation consultant do?
An ERP implementation consultant helps a company select, configure and roll out an ERP system. The scope varies, so ask whether it includes process redesign, data migration, training and support after go-live. A process-first approach begins with how the business actually works.
What is an ERP business transformation?
An ERP business transformation can mean redesigning how a company operates, then using an ERP to connect the redesigned work. The case study title describes fragmented accounting, sales, order entry and manufacturing operations becoming one connected, automated business system.
How do you prepare for an ERP implementation?
Prepare for an ERP implementation by mapping how work runs today and naming an owner for each flow. Decide what to remove before you configure anything. Involve the people who take orders, make the product and send invoices. Bring their workarounds into the open.
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