Developing an ERP Implementation Plan for Enterprise CPG Businesses

An ERP implementation can be one of the most complex projects a company may undertake, with consequences that can impact the entire organization. Developing a CPG ERP implementation plan is a vital step in the process, helping your company to minimize disruption to employees and get the system up and running as quickly as possible.

For companies in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, the business environment is continually evolving. An ERP solution must be adaptive enough to meet changes dictated by a global supply chain, direct to consumer sales and direct to consumer drop shipments and increasing trading partner demands to remain competitive.

The most valuable benefit is how an organization-wide ERP deployment links disparate business functions together throughout a company. For example, SAP Business One can streamline operations through process integrations and automation to manage today’s purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash processes.

SAP Business One offers the flexibility to accommodate the unique needs of an organization, with the ability to adapt to changes within the company, the business, or the ecosystem.

Tailoring CPG ERP Implementation For CPG Businesses

Enterprise CPG companies have unique business challenges that an ERP solution like SAP Business One is well-suited to solve. Since eCommerce and EDI play a significant role with CPGs, an ERP solution can help through integration and process automation that enforces the rules of multiple order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay processes, resulting in greater transaction throughput with fewer people, greater accuracy, and reduced chargebacks.

A goal of a CPG’s ERP implementation is integration with the eCommerce platform. This integration automatically pulls orders into the ERP system and pushes updates back to the eCommerce platform. EDI integration is the other must-have for consumer product companies.

Enterprise CPG companies must manage multiple sales channels: big-box retailers, specialty retailers, online marketplaces, B2B and B2C, eCommerce, and more. Many of these sales channels require EDI integration to facilitate the communication of Purchase Orders, Advanced Shipping Notifications, and Invoices. Managing different shipment configurations and options is also crucial.

While an ERP system can provide a company with many benefits, it’s critical that a detailed, organized plan is created to ensure a successful implementation and ongoing benefits. To ensure the success of your CPG ERP implementation and take full advantage of the benefits it provides, select a partner like Third Wave Business Systems with the knowledge, industry experience, and skill to help you create and execute a comprehensive implementation plan.

Third Wave’s ERP Implementation Process In Six Phases:

• Project Launch: Initial planning, agreement of project scope, and confirmation of the overall project structure. A high-level project plan will be completed, and a test system installed.
• Business Process Mapping: Outline existing business processes, introduce SAP Business One best practices, and modify the initial project plan if required. A detailed project plan is provided along with project team training.
• Build and Configure: Build and configure all business processes and technical requirements, and prepare the system to perform a proof of concept test.
• Testing: A series of test scripts will simulate the business while validating the application configuration in a non-production environment.
• Business Readiness: Assess system, staff, and organization readiness, staff readiness, with a final decision to move to production. End-user training is provided, along with a final cutover plan.
• Go Live: The client organization starts managing daily activities while the Third Wave team monitors the activities and provides support. The project is signed-off, and follow-up items are scheduled.

Third Wave’s many years of experience shows that a properly executed Testing Phase is key to a smooth transition to the Go-Live phase. Third Wave’s methodology, scope development, and project structure help to eliminate common problems like misaligned business processes, time overruns, unclear roles and responsibilities, and any other unwanted surprises.

Third Wave is a Gold Partner of SAP, the world leader in ERP software. As North America’s longest-standing SAP Business One partner, small to enterprise level businesses trust us to implement ERP solutions deployed on-premise and in the cloud with hands-on expertise every step of the way.

To learn more about how we enable companies to implement scalable ERP solutions, schedule a customized demo with a Third Wave expert today.