The Fail-Proof Genius ERP Implementation Process

ERP implementation: Simpler than you might think

Does the thought of implementing a new ERP make you break out in a cold sweat? We at Genius Solutions know that undertaking a project as massive as an ERP implementation is difficult and disruptive—after all an ERP touches on every aspect of your business and will affect how most, if not all of your staff does their jobs. ERP projects are scary because they bring about massive change to your business, and take a lot of time and effort to get right.

But an ERP project doesn’t need to be as scary as it seems. We’ve seen that stats and know that up to 75% of businesses fail to implement an ERP successfully. But that’s why Genius Solutions has worked hard to develop a 10-step implementation success plan and have an industry-leading implementation rate. We know that implementing an ERP can be scary and hard, but we’re up for the challenge, have decades of experience under our belt, and know the manufacturing industry inside-and-out, which gives us a cutting edge on our competition.

Our team will work closely with you every step of the way, to make sure that you are comfortable, and able to execute the implementation plan. And we don’t leave you high and dry after implementation, but instead stick around to make sure that everything is running well, and to get you through any hurdles that may pop up while your shop adjusts to the new system. An ERP is more than a software system in our eyes—it’s a long-term partnership and we’ll be with you day in and day out, helping you to achieve your goals.

Don’t implement an ERP until you read this first

Before you get your implementation project underway there are some first steps that you need to consider before anything can move forward. The first step is to make sure that you have selected the right ERP for your business. Your manufacturing business is unique, and you need to find the right ERP that works for you and your unique needs.

An ERP isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing: In today’s marketplace, there are dozens of quality and reputable ERP providers. It’s up to you to pick the one that meets the needs of your business, so shop around and do your homework before you select a new ERP. And don’t worry, we’ve got you covered—if you need help picking the right ERP for your business check out our eBook which is full of tips and pays out an easy-to-follow process for selecting the right ERP for your manufacturing business.

Once you have picked the right ERP for you, you’re not in the clear yet. There are a lot of things internally that you need to make sure you have in place before you can succeed with your implementation project. Our President and CEO, Jean Magny, have decades of years of experience under his belt and has helped countless manufacturing companies to successfully get Genius ERP up and running at their shop. The number one word of advice he has on the situation is: vision.

Jean believes that companies fail to reach their goals not because they are too busy or don’t have enough time to get things done, but because they lack vision. By this he means you need to have strong leadership in place to steer your company through the disruption that implementing an ERP brings to your business. If you can’t demonstrate to your staff a strong case for why you need an ERP, and you lack strong leadership to steer the implementation process, you will have difficulty making it through the process.

To learn more about what Jean has to say, as well as gain invaluable tips on how to successfully get an ERP up and running in your shop, Download Jean’s eBook here. Jean will tell you why you need to treat an ERP like a new member of staff and train it accordingly, and he lays out the best timeline for your shop to take. Before you proceed with your ERP implementation project you really need to read his eBook first.

How to successfully implement an ERP

Once you are sure that you have picked the ERP that is right for your manufacturing business, and you have strong leadership in place, you can start on your ERP implementation journey.

At Genius Solutions we have broken down the implementation process into 10 easy-to-follow steps, grouped into four stages, that focus on gathering, transferring and applying knowledge. We know that the best way to get an ERP up and running as quickly as possible is to work hand-in-hand with you and your employees that will use Genius ERP on a daily basis—we need to learn from you before you can learn from us.

Knowledge Gathering

The first step of an ERP implementation process is one of the most important steps—and one that is often overlooked. Before we can make our system work for you we need to gather as much information about you as possible: What your business processes are and how your business works. It’s also an important time to communicate to your staff about the upcoming implementation process and get everyone on board with the project.

Step 1 – Kick Off

Implementation starts by getting to know your company, your employees, and your processes. We’ll conduct on-site interviews and review documentation. To get the most out of Genius ERP we need to get the goods from you, and our trained implementation team knows the right questions to ask to get all of the information we need. During this time we will also define the project scope, and key milestones, as well as identify risks, and a contingency plan, so that you will know how to get the project back on track if anything pop-ups and derails it.

Step 2 – Process Design

We take everything we have learned about you in step one and take it home with us, and use it to model your operations, simulate production runs, and create a detailed prototype of how Genius ERP will work for you. We will develop an in-depth prototype for you, as well as devise a detailed plan for the project and create the training schedule.

Knowledge Transfer

It’s time to start training! Investing time and attention into the training portion of the implementation process will ensure that your ERP project is a success. It’s crucial that your team learn the system inside-and-out, so we give you time to learn, and share our expertise with you. We will conduct active training session that will engage your staff and ensure that they understand how to use the system. We will make sure that your staff knows how to use our ERP for all of your business processes. After all, better training equals better results.

Step 3 – Software Installation

The first step of the knowledge transfer stage is to install our software and begin personalized training sessions. We will conduct a server audit and start training you for Go-Live.

Step 4 – Training

Detailed and customized training workshops are delivered based on a comprehensive understanding of your manufacturing processes. We will conduct active training sessions through a variety of means: training workshops, project management courses,  training on modules one-by-one, and simulating all of your business processes. We want to make sure you understand how to make Genius ERP work for you, and will take the time to get it right.

Knowledge Application

It’s time to put Genius ERP into action! Our staff will be with you on-site to help you transition to using Genius ERP in a live environment. We will be with you every step of the way, guiding you through the system, and helping you iron out any kinks to ensure everything runs smoothly. We will also stay with you on-site to guide you through your first month-end, empowering your team to use the system with complete confidence.

Step 5 – Pre-Go-Live

With employees trained and systems running, the countdown to Go-Live is on. We will take the time to migrate your company to the system, meticulously transferring data, and preparing you for Go-Live.

Step 6 – Go-Live

Your system comes to life under our guidance and support! We will hold your hands while we flip the switch and activate Genius ERP. We’ll continue to provide on-site coaching on how to use Genius ERP in an active environment and work on actual jobs and projects with you to make sure Genius ERP is up and running smoothly throughout your entire operation.

Step 7 – Post-Go-Live

Even though Genius ERP is up and running, we won’t leave you hanging but will continue to support you on-site over the first month of using Genius ERP. We’ll help you to iron out any kinks that may pop up and ensure that everyone in your organization knows how to use Genius ERP to effectively and efficiently carry out their jobs and tasks.  We will also begin our transition from on-site support to off-site support and ensure that you know how to reach us, and how we can help you when we are no longer physically with you.

Step 8 – First month-end

We know that your first month-end using a new system can be a little intimidating, so our team of experts will work hand-in-hand with your users over the first month. We’ll make sure that your team can carry out all of their month-end procedures using Genius ERP and that you are a well-oiled machine! The training phase comes to an end, but our team will be available for continuous help, support and coaching.

Step 9 – Complete Implementation

With everyone satisfied, the software running smoothly and your team trained, implementation closes out. We’ll make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, and we will finalize the project.

Customer Success

Congratulations! You have Genius ERP up and running smoothly in your shop, helping you to be a more efficient and streamlined operation. But our job isn’t over. We will continue to work closely with you, giving you outstanding support, and helping you to use our tools better. We strive to become long standing partners with all of our customers, helping you to continuously improve and simplify your manufacturing processes. Your long-term success is important to us.

Step 10 – Continuous Support

Our commitment to your success lasts long after project finalization. You will have a kick-off with your dedicated Customer Success Manager. And we will ensure that you have all of your processes documented and know how to use our tech support. We will continue to work with you closely, and continue to guide you on how to use our tools to make your business a success!

Case study of a successful implementation – Hinds-Bock Corporation

We’ll never tell you that implementing an ERP is easy, but we will tell you that if you work closely with our knowledgeable implementation team we can get you through the process relatively pain-free. It will take some hard work on both ends, but if we both dig deep, you’ll see major gains to your manufacturing business. To learn more about how we can help you, check out our case study of Hinds-Bock. After two unsuccessful experiences with other ERPs, Hinds-Bock now uses Genius ERP to successfully manage their company’s complex engineer-to-order business platform.

Our commitment to you

We will implement Genius ERP at a pace tailored to your team, following a proven methodology, and on a timeline that ensures you’re up and running as quickly as possible. Our implementation team will work hand-in-hand with the employees at your company who will use Genius ERP on a daily basis, carefully instructing them on how to best apply Genius ERP to your processes—to realize real results. Our implementation specialists are experienced, trustworthy, energetic, and solutions-driven—and will do anything and everything it takes to get the job done. To learn more about Genius ERP book a demo today.