What is the ERP life cycle?
The set of activities through which ERP is implemented in an organization constitutes the ERP life cycle. This can be compared to the well developed System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in the traditional Structured System Analysis and Design (SSAD). Typical ERP project consists of the following steps: Step 1: ERP readiness assessment Step 2: Preparing the organization for ERP Step 3: ERP Feasibility Study Step 4: Process modelling and documenting the “AS IS” processes & “TO BE” processes (along with BPR) Step 5: Detailed plan for ERP implementation (includes ERP software selection, selection of implementation partners, implementation methodology – “Big Bang” or Modular Implementation – and the final and precise extent of implementation) Step 6: Detailed implementation including development, quality assurance and production system Step 7: Preparing to “go live” including data migration Step 8: Going live Step 9: Performance assessment, documentation, training (continues in early stages