If You Want Your ERP Implementation to Be Successful, Take Training Seriously

The process of choosing and implementing a new ERP solution can be long and challenging. There are plenty of moving parts to keep track of and diverse stakeholders with competing priorities. But no matter the particulars of your organization’s ERP project, there’s one thing you can’t let slip through the cracks: application training.

Even the smoothest ERP implementation will be deemed a failure if the solution’s intended users don’t use it. The only way to get the benefits you’re looking for is through widespread adoption, and the only way to ensure adoption is to deliver well-planned, high-quality training. When people understand how to use software correctly and how it will help make their jobs easier, you’ll see a sustained boost in efficiency and effectiveness.

Here are some tips for making sure your teams get the training they need on your new ERP.

Create a formal ERP training plan.

Training shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. Instead, you should develop a detailed training plan in the earliest phases of the project to account for the necessary time and resources in your scope.

When developing your plan, emphasize the day-to-day tasks that your trainees will be using the ERP system to accomplish. By structuring your training around actual processes, you’ll help the people in your organization connect key concepts to their own jobs.

It’s also wise to incorporate diverse types of training. Not everyone learns the same way, so delivering one type of training is bound to only work for one type of learner. Incorporate hands-on workshops, videos, and written resources.

First conduct extensive training for super-users who can then train other users. Identify the people who are ERP software experts and enthusiasts, let them get their hands on the new solution, and then use them as a resource for post-launch support and championing the project across the company.

Start training before the solution goes live.

Don’t wait until your new ERP has rolled out to get people comfortable with it. You should start that as soon as your training plan has been developed, well before implementation is complete. This gives the users on your team time to familiarize themselves with the user interface and functionality, and it gives you a chance to confirm whether pre-built, industry-standard best practices will work for their daily processes.

When you train early and often, you also help your people build confidence in the solution you chose and in their ability to use it successfully. It can also make them feel like they have a real stake in the launch, which is far better than letting them sit in the dark and wonder if this change will be an annoying disruption.

Take advantage of free resources.

Not everything about your company’s application training program needs to be bespoke.

Supplement your organization-specific trainings with resources that are already publicly available. For Microsoft Dynamics 365, that includes:

• Microsoft Docs, a repository of documentation including quick starts, tutorials, API references, and example code
• Microsoft Learn, a collection of role-based learning paths
• Dynamics 365 Community, a forum where Dynamics users help each other get the most out of the software

If you’re implementing D365 Finance & Supply Chain Management and already have a subscription, you may also be able to use Life Cycle Services to document training scenarios in your fully configured system.

Find a partner that knows ERP.

The best thing you can do to ensure successful application training is to find an implementation partner that really understands the complexities of ERP software. At Sikich, we help companies with the entire process, from conception to adoption and beyond. To learn more about how Sikich can help your organization, contact our team of experts today.