Debunking the Biggest Misconception of Go Live Timing

It is the first day of your new fiscal year. Your stomach starts to churn thinking of all the work you must do to get the books closed for the year. As though that isn’t enough stress, add in all the reporting that needs to be completed for the owners, banks, and the pesky auditors. The sheer idea of going live on a new ERP system at the same time will put you in full panic mode and make you want to run screaming from the building.

Now take a deep breath. You do not have to go live at the beginning of a new fiscal year. In fact, we encourage customers not to go live on a new ERP system at what is often already considered their most stressful time of year. By creating a smart timeline for your ERP implementation, team members are able to focus on the new system and not be distracted by other work or projects.

The Misconception

The argument that we hear most often for transitioning to a new ERP at the beginning of the year is that companies don’t want to lose any data or look in two systems for data.  A strong and reputable ERP software company will be able to migrate the data from a legacy system to the new system, which debunks this theory that a company must go live at the beginning of the year.

How Deacom Can Help

Deacom performs several data mock Go Lives to ensure the data in the old system matches what is in DEACOM. This gives companies the opportunity to validate the data and determine any discrepancies. In addition, all financial statements will be created so companies can tie out the financials before Go Live. The reason all of this is done ahead of time is to maintain business continuity and establish DEACOM as the system of record on day one of Go Live. 

When is the Best Time for Go Live?

The answer is really any time you are ready. However, there are some important things to keep in mind when picking a Go Live date:

• Sustainability of the Current System – If your current system is being held together with band-aids and bubble gum, you might want to convert to a new system as early as possible. This could mean doing a phased approach by implementing the core functionality ASAP and adding features like MRO after you are live.  
• Quarter-Ends – If quarter-ends have similar workloads to those at year-end, it may be smart to avoid them altogether.
• Busy Time – Don’t make your typical busy time any more hectic than they already are.
• Vacations and Holidays – Make sure everyone is available and dedicated to the success of the new ERP system by scheduling go live around the time that they are all guaranteed to be in the office.

Once you have taken all the above into consideration, you can set a realistic Go Live date.  This date should be communicated to the team as early as possible, so everyone knows the end goal.

For more information about Deacom’s implementation process, click here.

About the author

Having spent most of her career as an accountant specializing in inventory, operations and distribution accounting, Mary understands what our customers endure with their current systems. As a Solutions Architect, she spends her time teaching and demonstrating how easy it is to perform accounting functions in DEACOM and eliminating the fear of debits and credits to the non-accounting population.