Many companies start their ERP journey by calling vendors, comparing demos, and asking for proposals.
That sounds logical – but successful ERP projects don’t start with software.
They start with readiness.
A Pre-ERP Readiness Plan is the step that protects your time, money, and reputation before you spend months (or years) in implementation.
Why Readiness Matters
Research shows:
Over 70% of ERP projects go over budget
Around 40% face major delays
Most problems happen before implementation even begins
The real issue is not bad ERP software.
The real issue is that the business isn’t ready.
Typical problems:
No clear process
Data is messy
Roles and decisions are unclear
Teams have different expectations
Vendors start leading the project
This leads to overruns, stress, and poor results.
What Is a Pre-ERP Readiness Plan?
It is a short engagement, usually 10–15 business days.
It helps you understand your current situation and prepare before talking to vendors.
The goal is not to choose software.
The goal is to make sure your business is ready for ERP.
The plan covers four key areas:
| Focus Area | Purpose |
| Business processes | Understand how work really happens today |
| Data quality | Find what needs to be cleaned before migration |
| People & roles | Clarify responsibilities and decision rights |
| Business requirements | Define what ERP must actually support |
Signs That Your Business Is Not Ready
If you have heard any of these, your risk is high:
“We’ll clean the data later.”
“We just want to see some demos first.”
“The vendor will help us with the process.”
“We’ll figure out requirements during implementation.”
In reality, ERP should not fix process and data problems.
It should run on top of a prepared business.
What a Readiness Plan Includes
Alignment with leadership
Mapping your top 2–3 business processes
Reviewing key data objects
Creating clear requirements that any vendor can understand
A simple scorecard that shows how ready you are
What You Gain
A readiness plan helps you:
Choose the right vendor faster
Reduce cost and delays
Improve internal alignment
Negotiate with confidence
Control the project instead of reacting to it
ERP becomes a business project, not just a software project.
Final Thought
You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint.
In the same way, implementing ERP without readiness leads to high cost, delays, and stress.
A short readiness phase brings clarity and protection.
Before you ask vendors for proposals, ask your business one question:
Are we truly ready for ERP?
Let's talk and answer this question together