In many ERP projects, module configuration goes to plan. Trouble starts when data from the old system begins to migrate: duplicate item codes, customers recorded under three different names, and balances that do not match the financial statements.
Name data owners early
Each type of master data, such as items, customers, suppliers, and the chart of accounts, needs one owner on the business side. That owner decides which record is correct when there is a conflict, not the IT team.
Clean before you move
Migration is the wrong moment to clean data. Start cleaning in the old system at the beginning of the project, with clear weekly targets.
Rehearse the migration
Run trial migrations at least two or three times before go-live. Each rehearsal produces a list of issues to fix and shows how long the real migration will take.
Reconcile against the books
After each rehearsal, compare balances in the new ERP with reports from the old system. A difference found during a rehearsal is far cheaper to fix than one found at the first month-end close.
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