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198 Chapter 7 • Operations and Postimplementation

This stabilization time frame must be used to let the users get familiar with the system and the
new processes and to fix problems or bugs in the system. There should be very little development
addressed during this phase. There should also be tracking and communication of problems in
place. In all likelihood there will be a significant number of questions and issues that arise (i.e.,
how the system is working, incorrect data conversion, and system stability). It will be important
to log all issues and track them to resolution. Users must be aware on a daily basis of what has
been resolved and what is still outstanding. During the stabilization process the teams and users
will likely meet once in the morning and in the late afternoon to discuss problem resolution and
upcoming cycles just to be sure everyone understands what is being done. This would include
any batch cycles or reports that will be run overnight.
During the stabilization period, the IT staff will be monitoring the infrastructure for
response times and ensure that backups are taken appropriately for all hardware and software;
hence, they are often simultaneously researching and fixing problems. As previously discussed,
there are many components to an ERP implementation, and all of them need to work together for
a successful implementation. Any one component that does not work correctly can impact the
system performance, trigger problems that were not discovered before, and flood the IT support
center with many calls. Likewise, the subject matter expects should be prepared to help many
users from their departments operate the system in the correct way and support them while they
are making the first steps in the system.
Stabilization is a demanding and frustrating period, which is characterized by long hours,
many problems, and lots of anxiety. Users are often not very sure of themselves, which may or
may not be a result of insufficient training but will mostly be of human nature (i.e., confusion,
excitement). Some user issues and activities that arise during stabilization are as follows:
•Customizations add to the complexity if they are not documented and communicated
appropriately.
•Not being able to perform ad hoc activities is another issue in stabilizing the ERP
system. It is not so much that the system is not capable of ad hoc activities; rather, it is
more about learning how to accomplish the activity that seemed so simple in the legacy.
This is often frustrating to users or managers, and it sometimes leads to low morale or
motivation.
•Another issue is that one of the reasons for implementing the system is business process
reengineering. Business processes are new to users, and they make mistakes as they use the
new process for the first time.
•If the organization opts for a parallel implementation approach, the ERP system is operated
concurrently with the old legacy system, which is labor intensive, confusing, and frustrating.
In addition, determining whether a reported problem is a real problem or not is time
consuming. Finally, reconciliation has to be done between the new ERP system and the old
legacy system to validate the inputs and outputs.

There are strategies that the company can apply to minimize business disruptions due to
stabilization problems. Some of them can be applied in advance, whereas others have to be
applied in real time. The ERP implementation team can identify not only problematic processes
but also a workaround for them. Rigorous testing during the implementation phase should
uncover many errors and bugs that can be fixed or documented. During the stabilization
period, the implementation team can provide frequent communications with its suppliers and
customers, which will facilitate their support in this difficult time and understanding in case of
errors that result from running the new software. The company can opt for the parallel