As with any major initiative, an ERP implementation can be a complex process that impacts many functions of your business, like financial management, human resources, sales, manufacturing and more. For a successful ERP implementation, you need to carefully define requirements, redesign processes to fully leverage the system, configure the system to support those processes, and rigorously test it before deployment. To ensure you meet these steps while staying on schedule, you’ll need a structured, phased implementation approach. A typical ERP implementation plan can be divided into six phases: Discovery and planning, design, development, support, deployment, and testing. While these may vary subtly depending on the company, each phase should include a specific set of goals and objectives.