An ERP migration checklist for UK manufacturers

Investing in any kind of technology is daunting for manufacturers – but an ERP can feel particularly risky because it impacts every part of your business, from the shop floor to the back office. 

When you choose the right solution and navigate the implementation well, your software can start delivering value almost straight away by cutting down admin and enabling proactive decision-making. 

But any delays or challenges along the way, from lack of staff training to poor-quality data, will quickly turn your ERP into a liability rather than an asset. It’s not just about avoiding big ERP implementation disasters either. You also need to be confident that teams are using the software consistently and fully, otherwise you won’t get the most from your investment over the long-term.

Industry research shows that 60% of UK manufacturers are currently investing in digital technology, AI and automation. So how can they use it to get the competitive advantage they want, while avoiding any migration problems? Our article, How to migrate your ERP: a practical guide to process, data, and ROI, gives you a five-step process to follow – but we’ve also created a handy checklist below. 

Goal: A clear view of how employees are currently recording and using information

Why? Lifting and shifting poor processes into an ERP leads to unreliable outputs, later multiplied across the business

• List all the ways employees are recording and managing information.  It could be a legacy ERP, spreadsheets, pen and paper. Insights can be captured via anonymous staff surveys, small focus groups and observing teams by walking the shop floor and offices. 
• Conduct a process-to-value review. Check through one to two years of operational logs, mapping each task to its core purpose. Ask whether each one meets a legal or quality requirement, or a customer need. This ensures that only high-value processes are migrated, not the ones created years ago – which are essentially unnecessary admin tasks.   
• Secure board-level buy-in. Build a business case and establish how the software will help to deliver on strategic objectives and how ROI will be measured. 
• Establish a realistic implementation timeline. Rushing an ERP implementation can lead to errors, oversight and scope creep. Equally, moving too slowly means you’re not getting the full value from your investment and staff become disengaged. Ridder iQ typically takes three to nine months to implement within mid-sized businesses, depending on operational complexity. However, small manufacturers could be up and running with Ridder iQ Essentials in just five days.

Goal: Clean and standardise master records before inputting into your ERP

Why? Employees will only trust and engage with the software if the outputs are reliable

• Cleanse master database records at source. Remove duplicate records and obsolete information, and archive former customer and supplier accounts.
• Check and standardise. Make sure unit measurements across departments are recorded consistently to maintain accurate outputs.
• Audit and structure multi-level Bills of Materials (BoMs). Make sure product configurations, materials routings and drawing links are correct and structured in a logical way. Ridder iQ allows you to automatically import BOM structures via SolidWords, reducing errors and saving time.
• Clean and validate data. Use company-approved AI tools to identify and correct formatting inconsistencies so only validated information is imported. 

Goal: Control costs and build momentum

Why? Lack of accountability can lead to scope creep and employee fatigue

• Appoint an internal ERP project champion. This person understands the software inside and out, can advocate for its use and answer any questions teams have. They also build a close relationship with your vendor’s implementation experts, relaying key information. 
• Use phased sprints to address the most common pain points (e.g. scheduling, job costing and inventory tracking). This demonstrates the value of the software early on, building trust and engagement within the teams.
• Test with live data. Your ERP champion can test real-world scenarios within the system using the fresh imported data to identify any bottlenecks, gaps or problems with the system.

Goal: Engage employees, build confidence, ensure system is fully-used

Why? Under-use reduces ROI and business performance

• Identify and train super-users within departments. Along with your champion, super-users can answer questions specific to their department and promote use. Task them with challenging employees who continue to rely on spreadsheets/paper.
• Set up daily stand-up meetings or huddles. Bring together department leaders and the ERP project champion to identify issues before they escalate and share learnings/best practices.
• Implement strict data controls across the business. An ERP enforces consistency but ensures that this message is clearly communicated. All operational, inventory and other data must be recorded consistently and accurately, creating a single version of the truth. 

Goal: Review your ERP operational performance and ROI against your KPIs

Why? Gives senior managers and wider teams confidence in the system, and identifies opportunities for improvement.

• Audit and measure administrative waste. Check how long is being spent on key tasks like quoting and BoMs using the new system versus manually. 
• Check quality and scrappage rates. Your new ERP will give you a clear insight into the production errors that could be avoided with better planning and scheduling.
• Working capital and inventory. Check how quickly stock is now moving through the warehouse, how much safety stock you’re holding onto, and how many last-minute POs are being raised. 
• Margins. Identify job over-runs in real-time rather than looking at financial performance later on. 

Our checklist is certainly not exhaustive – but it breaks down ERP migration into clear phases and actions. Whether you have a legacy ERP at the moment, or you’ve recently implemented a new one, our ERP Rescue Audit will help you benchmark its performance and, if needed, enable you to move to a new solution with a clear plan for migration.