How to use it
- 01
Describe how you operate
Tick the activities that apply. A company that manufactures and holds stock in several places needs a different first phase from one that delivers projects, and the planner's later questions read differently for each.
- 02
Place every module
Give each module a phase. Resist putting more than three or four in the first one. Each added module lengthens the period in which people are learning a new system while doing their normal jobs.
- 03
Test the first phase
Now answer the questions about pain, double entry and blind decisions. If the trouble you describe is not solved by the modules you placed first, move the modules until it is.
- 04
Fix what stays
List the systems you intend to keep. Every one of them becomes an integration, so the list is as important to the plan as the modules themselves.
What an ERP plan should decide first
Before comparing products or commissioning development, a company gains most from agreeing internally on the order of work. These are the decisions that order rests on.
| Part | What it settles | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Operating model | How goods, work and money move through the company | Selects which modules matter at all |
| Phases | Which modules come first, second and later | Keeps the change small enough to absorb |
| Main pain | The workflow that fails most often | Makes sure the first phase earns its keep quickly |
| Double entry | Where data is retyped between tools | Shows where integration or replacement pays back |
| What stays | Systems kept and connected | Each one adds an interface to build and maintain |
| Data | The condition of existing records | Poor data delays every phase that depends on it |
| Leadership | Who decides across departments | ERP projects stall without someone able to settle disputes |
A worked example
A lighting maker that cannot promise delivery dates
Load the example to see an invented lighting company's plan. Its trouble is typical of small manufacturers: stock, production and orders live in separate spreadsheets.
- First phasePurchasing, inventory and assembly. Together they answer the question that hurts, which is whether an order can be made from what is on the shelf.
- Second phaseSales, invoicing and customer records. They matter, but the current tools cope, so they follow once stock figures can be trusted.
- What staysThe accounting package and the web shop. Both are connected instead of replaced, which keeps the accountant and the customers undisturbed.
Accounting is marked no, on purpose. Keeping it out removes the riskiest part of an ERP change from a company of fifteen people, at the cost of one integration.
What this tool does not do
The planner arranges your own judgment into an order of work. It has clear limits.
- It does not recommend a product. The same plan can be met by a packaged ERP or by custom development.
- It cannot see dependencies inside your processes. A consultant or developer should check the order of phases.
- It gives no cost, since that depends on the route chosen and on the state of your data.
- Your plan is stored in this browser and nowhere else until you export it.
What to do with the finished document
Share the plan with the heads of the departments in the first phase and ask what it misses. If you would like a second opinion on the phasing, send it to us and we will reply with questions. Send it through the contact page or book a 30-minute call and bring it along.
Common questions
Which modules should come first?
The ones around the workflow that causes the most trouble, provided the data they need exists. For a company that makes or stocks goods, that is usually inventory with purchasing or production. For a services company, projects and time. Accounting is often best left for later, because it works, it is regulated and people depend on it at year end.
How many modules can a first phase hold?
Three or four is a reasonable ceiling for a small or mid-sized company. The limit is rarely the software. It is the number of habits people can change at once while still serving customers. A first phase that goes well also makes the second one far easier to agree.
Should we replace our accounting software?
Only with a clear reason. If the package meets your reporting and tax needs and your accountant is comfortable, connecting it to the ERP is usually lower risk than replacing it. Replacement makes sense when the package cannot handle your structure, such as several entities or currencies, or cannot be connected at all.
Is a packaged ERP or a custom one better for a plan like this?
The plan does not decide that, and it should be made first. With the phases agreed you can test packaged products against the first phase and see how well they fit. Our comparison of a custom ERP and an Odoo implementation sets out how the two routes differ in cost, fit and upkeep.