Full On Consulting | Resource Guide

ERP Implementation & Upgrade
Best Practices Checklist

12 critical structures that must be defined before you engage a vendor, sign a SOW, or start a design session. Companies that skip these steps pay for them — in scope creep, missed milestones, over-customization, and implementations that fail to deliver the original business case.

How to use this checklist: Review each item before engaging an ERP vendor or beginning an implementation or upgrade program. Check off each sub-item as it is completed. Items left unchecked represent risks that should be explicitly acknowledged and accepted — not ignored.

Define the business case before the RFP

Document the measurable business outcomes the ERP must deliver. Every customization request must be traceable to a business outcome — not a process preference.

Business case document approved by CEO and CFO

KPIs defined for each major business outcome

Customization requests linked to specific business outcomes

Establish a customization governance board

A cross-functional team with authority to approve or reject customization requests before any development begins.

Governance board members identified (IT, Finance, Operations, Legal)

Approval criteria documented

Lifecycle cost template created and required for all requests

Map current processes to ERP standard before selecting a vendor

Conduct a fit-gap analysis before committing to a vendor. Understand where your processes diverge from ERP standards.

Fit-gap analysis completed for all major business processes

Gaps documented with business justification and lifecycle cost

Process change alternatives documented for each gap

Distinguish configuration from customization

Configuration changes ERP behavior through settings — no code, no upgrade risk. Customization writes new code. Push every request toward configuration first.

Configuration vs. customization decision tree defined

All requests evaluated for configuration options first

Configuration decisions documented and reversible

Require lifecycle cost disclosure for every customization

Every approved customization must include a 10-year cost estimate: build, annual maintenance, and upgrade impact.

10-year cost estimate template completed for each customization

Business stakeholder who requested the customization signs off on cost estimate

Total customization cost tracked against original project budget

Adopt the vendor's extension platform for all new development

SAP BTP, Oracle Integration Cloud, and Microsoft Power Platform exist to extend ERP without touching core code.

Extension platform strategy defined (SAP BTP / Oracle IC / Power Platform)

Development standards documented for extension platform

Core code modification prohibited except with CIO approval

Audit and retire existing customizations before any upgrade

Conduct a full inventory of existing custom code. Remove or retire anything no longer used. Move what can be moved to the extension platform.

Custom code inventory completed

Usage analysis run (identify unused customizations for retirement)

Migration plan created for customizations moving to extension platform

Define and enforce change control from day one

Any change to requirements, scope, or configuration after the design phase must go through formal change control with a documented impact assessment.

Change control process documented and communicated

Change request template created

Change control board established with authority to approve/reject

Build regression testing automation early

Every customization adds to the regression test suite. Automate from the start — not retrofitted later.

Regression test automation tool selected (e.g., Tricentis Tosca, Oracle ATS)

Test case coverage targets defined

Automated regression suite operational before first customization goes live

Align executive sponsors before the project begins

The CEO, CFO, and functional heads must understand and commit to the process changes the ERP requires.

Executive sponsor charter signed

Process change commitment communicated to all departments

Executive steering committee cadence established (minimum monthly)

Plan the post-go-live optimization phase before go-live

A planned stabilization and optimization phase (90–180 days post-go-live) is the right time for enhancements — not during implementation.

Post-go-live optimization phase defined in project plan

Enhancement backlog process documented

Stabilization support model staffed and funded

Require vendor accountability in the SOW

The SOW must define deliverables, acceptance criteria, and consequences for missed milestones — not just time and materials.

SOW reviewed line by line before signing

Deliverables and acceptance criteria specific and measurable

Milestone accountability and remedies documented

Off-ramp provisions defined

Senior IT consulting for mid-market enterprises | The Villages, FL

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ERP Implementation & UpgradeBest Practices Checklist