Implementation

Moving from Excel to ERP: a 90-day plan

ERP projects fail when they try to change everything at once. A phased plan keeps the business running while the new system earns trust.

By the WebSoftOS team · 2026-10-07

Days 1–30: foundations

  • Choose one pain point to fix first, such as billing and stock.
  • Clean and import masters: customers, suppliers, items, opening balances.
  • Define roles: who creates, who approves, who views.
  • Train a small core team on a trial site.

Days 31–60: parallel run

  • Enter real transactions in the ERP while continuing the old process.
  • Reconcile daily or weekly: stock, outstanding, cash.
  • Fix mismatches in masters and rules.
  • Collect feedback from the people doing the work.

Days 61–90: cut over

  • Switch the first process fully to the ERP after a clean month-end.
  • Retire the old spreadsheets for that process but archive them.
  • Plan the next module: purchase, payroll, projects or CRM.

What to leave for later

Complex reports, rarely used workflows and integrations can wait. Win on the basics first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a consultant?

Not always. A clear owner on your side, clean masters and a vendor who supports onboarding matter more than the size of the project team.

Related resources