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5 steps of an ERP implementation communication plan
Communicating effectively about an ERP implementation is a must because of the complexity and stress of the project. Learn what steps to follow to create a communication plan.
Change management is a major consideration for an ERP implementation. Communicating effectively with employees about the implementation can ensure the transition to the new software goes smoothly.
Communication about an ERP implementation can reduce stress for employees and create accountability for those performing the implementation if the communication mentions specific deadlines. The communication should include a way for employees to get in touch with questions and share the right level of details with its audience.
Learn more about how ERP implementation communication can help the process and the steps to follow when creating a communication plan.
How does a communication plan help ERP change management?
Creating a plan beforehand for communication about the new ERP software can benefit companies in several different ways:
- Helps the team provide clear and frequent updates about the project, which eliminates confusion and miscommunications.
- Creates accountability for the implementation team for project deadlines.
- Reduces employee stress about the project.
- Engages users about the new implementation regardless of their role within the company.
- Gives employees the opportunity to send feedback to the implementation team.
5 steps for creating an ERP implementation communication plan
An ERP implementation includes so many moving parts that communicating effectively about the implementation can fall to the bottom of the implementation team's to-do list. Here are the steps to follow to ensure that employees learn everything they need to know about the new software.
1. Establish a communication timeline
The first step is to decide when the team will send updates to employees and make sure information is sent out consistently. At this point, the implementation team should also decide who is responsible for sending out the information.
The implementation team should reference project deadlines when deciding on the timeline for sending out communication about the implementation. For example, team members could send an update to employees a week before the go-live date so employees receive a reminder.
2. Consider which details to share
After deciding when to send out the information, the implementation team members should decide how much information to share in the communication about the new ERP software.
For example, some employees might not need to know all the technical information about the software implementation and might feel overwhelmed if the implementation team sends out a detailed breakdown of the process.
Often, different messages are sent to different employee groups at an organization, with the messages tailored to specific roles.
Implementing new software is a big change for any company. The communication should also have a positive tone and acknowledge that employees might feel worried about the new technology.
3. Ensure alignment with stakeholders
To avoid confusion, implementation team members should make sure all company leaders are aligned on the information for employees and when to send it. For example, a company's CEO might want to wait to announce the new ERP software to employees until after the December holidays. In addition, lack of alignment between stakeholders could lead to leaders sharing different information about the implementation with employees, leading to confusion.
Team members should ensure they have discussed the content and timing of the communication with all stakeholders.
4. Create opportunities for feedback
The implementation team should give employees the opportunity to send feedback about the software implementation before and after go-live. Doing so can help reduce stress for workers and help the implementation team.
As the team plans communication about the ERP implementation, the group should consider how they will collect employee feedback about the project and who will share the feedback with the appropriate team members.
5. Be transparent about problems
If problems occur with the ERP implementation, the communication about the issues should be candid about the challenges and share the actions that the implementation team is taking to address them.
Doing so can encourage trust in the implementation team.
The implementation team should also communicate about any issues as soon as possible to reduce frustration for employees. For example, if the software go-live date is postponed, employees should learn about the delay as soon as possible.
Reda Chouffani runs a consulting practice he co-founded, Biz Technology Solutions Inc., and is CTO at New Charter Technologies. He is a technology consultant with a focus on healthcare and manufacturing, cloud expert and business intelligence architect who helps enterprises make the best use of technology.
