Planning ERP migration correctly

Step by step from Legacy to Dynamics 365

Successfully implementing a new ERP solution

  How to prepare for your ERP migration in a structured manner and lay the foundation for a smooth project launch  

Migrating from a legacy ERP to Dynamics 365 is more than just a technical upgrade – it is a strategic opportunity to modernise and optimise your business processes. With our proven migration assessment and clearly structured steps, we support you from planning to go-live.

How do I plan a Microsoft ERP migration?

A successful ERP migration always starts with clear and structured planning. This includes developing a comprehensive understanding of your existing ERP landscape, identifying the processes affected, and assessing how the switch to a modern cloud solution will impact your organisation, processes, and technology.

Together with your team, we carry out a migration assessment in which we analyse your current situation, evaluate risks and describe the possible migration scenario in detail. Depending on the scope and complexity of your environment, this step can be completed within approximately five to thirty days.

On this basis, we develop a precise plan for the next steps, in which we prioritise work packages, define effort and costs, and align the project process so that implementation can begin immediately. This results in a clear, realistic and robust roadmap for your migration to Dynamics 365.

12 steps to successful ERP migration

An ERP migration is a complex undertaking that can only be planned and reliably implemented with a structured approach. The following twelve steps form a clear framework that provides guidance and takes into account all relevant aspects of a successful Dynamics 365 migration.

1. Define goals

Together, we set measurable objectives – for example, process standardisation, concrete cost reduction or automation of certain processes – and examine whether like-for-like or process optimisation makes sense. We also discuss possible risks and look at the organisation: what will people need to make good use of a new system (organisational change management)?

2. Analyse processes

We examine your current process landscape, identify weaknesses and duplications, and define a process model that will be mapped by your future ERP system (the scope). In doing so, we look for opportunities to automate and simplify processes, e.g. through AI or other technologies. We also decide whether Dynamics 365 Finance & SCM or Business Central is better suited to your needs.

3. Plan interfaces

We define the type of integration for existing systems such as CRM or DMS and, if necessary, plan to connect additional systems. We look at the interface requirements from a process perspective and define the technical requirements based on the functional aspects.

4. Check the degree of customisation

We analyse where your legacy system deviated from the standard, how extensively the code was customised and whether this customisation is still necessary today. This is done, among other things, by means of a standardised code analysis, which gives us very precise information about the complexity to be expected during the migration.

5. Data quality

We show you how to check the data in your legacy system for completeness, consistency and relevance, and show you how to clean up your data. This is one of the basics that makes migration possible in the first place.

6. Involving stakeholders

All relevant departments are involved in the planning, priorities are agreed upon jointly and set in line with your strategy. This allows us to tailor your project to your budget and time frame.

7. Change management

We prepare your employees for the upcoming changes, ensuring a high level of acceptance. Your key users are trained on the system at an early stage so that they can contribute constructively and on an equal footing to the design of the new working environment right from the start. This embeds the change in your organisation at an early stage.

8. Risk management

We work with your team to create a risk matrix for the project and assess the risks according to their impact and probability of occurrence. Based on this, each risk is assigned a risk plan to mitigate its potential consequences. This means we have a plan B for all eventualities.

9. Further preparations

Contracts to be terminated, licences to be procured, necessary training and other, possibly competing projects are taken into account to ensure that the migration runs as smoothly as possible.

10. Define the project team

We work with you to put together an interdisciplinary team to manage the migration. We make sure to keep the team as lean as possible and as large as necessary. We also clarify the extent to which you would like to be actively involved in the project, e.g. whether you will be designing documents and reports yourself. This helps you to reduce external costs and creates independence within your team.

11. Create a schedule

Based on the technical requirements, the available team, as well as time and budget constraints and your priorities, we will work with you to create a sensible schedule for the project. The goal is to create an ambitious but realistic schedule that takes your day-to-day business into account. Here, we also agree on how you will operate the new system after go-live – should adesso support you in this (Life Time Services) or will you secure the operation of the system on your own?

12. Calculate costs

Based on all these factors, we define the effort, the expected costs and the agreed goal for the migration in a quote for you.

Your journey from legacy ERP to Dynamics 365

Migrating to Dynamics 365 is an opportunity to modernise your business processes and future-proof your company. Our experts implement your migration individually, efficiently and securely – from analysis and planning to go-live.

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Do you have any questions?

Let's discuss how we can implement your ERP project. I look forward to meeting with you.

Business Development Executive Marc Kothé ms-partner@adesso.de