The six-phase ERP implementation plan — with exit criteria, not just dates
Duration ranges are typical for a mid-market single or multi-entity implementation and will vary by scope. What matters more than the dates: each phase has a real exit criterion, not a calendar milestone.
GO-LIVE
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FRAMEWORK · FOR CFOS, CIOS & COOS
The six-phase ERP implementation plan
— with exit
criteria, not just dates.
Duration ranges are typical for a mid-market single or multi-entity implementation and will vary
by scope. What matters more than the dates: each phase has a real exit criterion, not a
calendar milestone.
01
Programme Timeline
INDICATIVE — 36-WEEK MID-MARKET BUILD
EXIT CRITERION — PHASE CANNOT CLOSE WITHOUT IT
6
by scope. What matters more than the dates: each phase has a real exit criterion, not a
calendar milestone.
phases, each closed by an exit criterion
rather than a calendar date.
36
rather than a calendar date.
weeks end-to-end for a typical mid-
market build. Multi-entity scope extends
phases 01 and 03 first.
2–4
market build. Multi-entity scope extends
phases 01 and 03 first.
weeks of stabilization after go-live. A plan
that ends at go-live is missing its last
phase.
These six phases map directly to the six variables most strongly correlated with go-live outcomes: executive sponsorship,
change management, testing discipline, data migration integrity, integration testing, and go-live strategy.
A plan with
dates but no exit criteria is a schedule, not a governance framework.
W0
W6
W12
W18
W24
W30
W36
Discovery & Design
Build & Configure
Data Migration & Testing
Training & Change Mgmt
Cutover & Go-Live
GO-LIVE
Stabilization (Hypercare)
ORPINGTON
ERP STEWARDSHIP, END TO END
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Orpington Technologies Inc. · Saskatchewan, Canada ·
info@orpingtontech.com
·
https://www.orpingtontech.com/
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that ends at go-live is missing its last
phase.
02
Phases & Exit Criteria
WHAT HAS TO BE TRUE TO CLOSE EACH PHASE
01
Discovery & Design
4–8 weeks
Current-state process mapping, requirements sign-off, and solution design against the requirements template.
Exit criteria:
requirements signed off by sponsor, finance, and IT leads.
02
Build & Configure
8–16 weeks
System configuration, workflow build, and integration development against the signed design.
Exit criteria:
configuration walkthrough demonstrated against each signed requirement.
03
Data Migration & Testing
6–10 weeks
Data migration, full reconciliation, and UAT covering edge cases — not just the happy path.
Exit criteria:
trial balance and master data fully reconciled; UAT signed off by end users.
04
Training & Change Management
3–5 weeks
End-user training delivered on a published calendar, with attendance tracked, not assumed.
Exit criteria:
attendance and competency confirmed for all in-scope users.
05
Cutover & Go-Live
1–2 weeks
Execution of a documented cutover plan with a named go/no-go decision point and rollback criteria.
Exit criteria:
rollback plan documented and reviewed before the go/no-go call.
06
Stabilization (Hypercare)
2–4 weeks post
Elevated support to resolve day-one issues fast, with severity-one defects tracked and reported.
Exit criteria:
Sev-1 defect count at zero; support volume returned to steady state.
“Every phase above can be reported green on the date it was due and still fail its exit criterion. The date is a
plan. The criterion is the evidence.”
ORPINGTON ADVISORY — IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE
Have the plan. Want to know if it’s on track?
plan. The criterion is the evidence.”
A timeline tells you where you should be. The Confidence Score tells you, with
evidence, where you actually are — scored against all six variables in 15 minutes.
GET YOUR
SCORE
orpingtontech.com/free-diagnostic
ORPINGTON
ERP STEWARDSHIP, END TO END
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Orpington Technologies Inc. · Saskatchewan, Canada ·
info@orpingtontech.com
·
https://www.orpingtontech.com/
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evidence, where you actually are — scored against all six variables in 15 minutes.