International ERP rollout: Strategies for corporate groups

An ERP rollout is not just an ERP rollout - every experience we have had with often International ERP projects taught. Especially when a new system is to be introduced at several locations, it is important to find out about the various options for a rollout strategy and adapt it to the project. There is no standardised procedure. Nevertheless, you can take different directions with rollouts. Here are a few suggestions:

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The „all at once“ strategy for ERP rollout

As the name suggests, this rollout strategy goes all in. The new system is „rolled out“ to all locations simultaneously. The workload is balanced, but also equally high everywhere. Therefore, an ERP rollout in this variant must be well planned – because if something goes wrong, it will have direct consequences for the entire corporate group. This strategy is particularly suitable for corporate groups that are already closely linked and strive for a unified solution. The „all at once“ variant has the advantage that the ERP solution can be well developed collaboratively from the various locations, and there is no „pioneer“. Instead, processes can be uniformly adapted and thus grow together. If the locations differ in their working methods and this is perhaps even reflected in the system, another rollout strategy might be more appropriate.

The „step-by-step“ strategy for ERP rollout

In stark contrast to the first strategy, this variant primarily offers one advantage. Instead of sending all locations into the often chaotic day-to-day of the project at once, the ERP rollout is implemented first. With each iteration, the project's approach can develop and improve. This relieves the individual locations and the project team only has to contend with one „building site“. However, with this strategy, care should be taken to ensure that the individual projects do not drift too far apart from each other. The fundamental idea behind introducing a new ERP system is often to standardise company processes across locations. If this is not the case in the end, the project would have failed. At least it helps to Project planning and, above all, not to lose sight of the objectives. It is also a good help to ensure that the rollout does not turn into a long-term project.

The „Phased“ Strategy for ERP Rollout

This variant of a rollout is a hybrid of the last two strategies. Although the rollout takes place in several steps, it is carried out across multiple locations. This variant is suitable for groups of companies that are not too widely dispersed and are working towards standardised processes and has the advantage that the implementation can be designed quite clearly, but is still carried out in one go. This is particularly useful for larger groups of companies in order to maintain an overview.

The „Tester“ Strategy for ERP Rollout

This variant also draws on the previous strategies. Here, however, the company deliberately „tests“ the ERP rollout at a smaller location. Afterwards, this strategy is applied to all locations. The advantage: The project team can gain experience and test their strategy on a manageable project. However, the question remains whether to test the location that needs it most urgently or one that... processes of all locations is best presented in a standardised way. The disadvantage is that you have to assume that the tested project strategy also works for all others, which is not necessarily the case. Again, it is important to consider how standardised the processes in the ERP system should ultimately be.

Ultimately, there is no predetermined „how-to“ strategy for rolling out ERP systems across multiple locations. The decision is based on the number of companies, their commonalities, as well as their differences, and the capacities of the project team. Each corporate group can and should redefine this for itself.

Here a contribution on what you should definitely consider in an ERP project.

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