3 Phases of a Furniture ERP Implementation

Furniture retail leaders recognize the need for modern Enterprise Resource Planning systems to streamline operations and drive growth.

My name is Jake Egan, and I am the Senior Manager of Consulting Services for STORIS, the leading home furnishings ERP solutions provider.

Today, I lead our team of talented Project Managers. With 14 years of experience, I’ve personally led implementations for home furnishings retailers, including Ashley HomeStores, Kimbrell’s, and The Room Place. Through STORIS’ ERP implementation, your home furnishings business can realize the ROI of our operational efficiency.

At STORIS, we’ve developed a three-phase approach
to ERP software implementations:

The initiation phase lays the groundwork for the implementation process,
fostering alignment among STORIS and the retailer’s team.

• Internal Transition
  Until now, you’ve been working with Account Executives on our sales team and have shared insights into your business needs with them. Our internal teams conduct a turnover meeting to ensure a seamless transition from sales to the STORIS implementation team to align on your project expectations.

• Alignment and Kick-Off
  In Phase 1, stakeholders from our consulting services team and your retail organization come together to rally around a common goal – the successful launch of your ERP system. By understanding your technology aspirations, we lay a solid foundation for the implementation.

• Introduction of the Implementation Project Plan
  Your dedicated Project Manager will introduce you to your comprehensive project plan. A tried-and-true project plan is at the center of every successful ERP implementation. This plan serves as a roadmap, defining milestones, tasks, resources, and timelines for transitioning to your new STORIS ERP system. An implementation project plan provides clarity and accountability around objectives.
  
  The Project Plan framework was developed by STORIS using proven processes and is adapted to meet your unique business requirements. STORIS’ implementation project plan draws upon our proven methodologies and best practices honed through the successful implementation of over 500 retailers in the home furnishings industry. It’s evolved as we’ve learned what is most productive. Our approach ensures the project is broken down into manageable steps customized to your unique business needs.

• Empowering Change Management
  Central to the success of any ERP implementation is embracing change. Change management enables organizations to navigate transitions effectively and mitigate resistance. In the context of implementing technology, change management becomes paramount as it ensures the smooth adoption of new systems, maximizes employee engagement, and minimizes disruptions to business operations.
  
  Technology change is a significant shift for a retailer, and we aim to instill confidence across your team. Project Managers focus on your company’s motivators for choosing STORIS. With a focus on streamlining daily tasks using optimal tools, buy-in around the implementation is naturally generated.

• Establishing Technical Foundations
  Technical preparations are critical to this phase. We ensure that all cloud environments are established and installed to support the implementation process seamlessly, from servers to databases and test accounts. You will work with STORIS’ Systems team during the installation process as they are experts in system architecture and setup.

In the Transformation phase, the focus shifts to leveraging solutions for operational efficiencies and redefining standard operating procedures.

• Your Dedicated Implementation Project Manager
  Your dedicated implementation Project Manager will be your partner and teammate throughout this process. This seasoned software consultant will use their industry expertise to facilitate your ERP implementation. STORIS’ collaborative implementation approach ensures we align our technology expertise with your business requirements. Project Managers work with your project leader and subject matter experts to ensure milestones are met, timelines are adhered to, and objectives are achieved.

• Technology Training Complemented by a Learning Management System
  Training your team in the skills needed to effectively leverage their new ERP system is central to success. Technology training is facilitated by STORIS’ expert consultants and complemented by our on-demand STORIS Academy training center. STORIS Academy is a powerful asset for training to diffuse STORIS knowledge across your team consistently ahead of launch and embrace change confidently.

• Current State to Future State
  Transformation is about transitioning from the current state of your business to a future state of optimized operations. Your project manager works closely with your team to understand existing workflows and pain points. They will recommend opportunities for improvements and how to leverage industry best practices. Your Project Manager will model common day-in-the-life scenarios using process workflows that present the most effective ways to complete high-volume tasks. They’ll also collaborate with your subject matter experts to ensure your business rules are applied to standard operating procedures in STORIS. By mapping out this journey from the current state to the envisioned future state, we pave the way for a smooth transition that maximizes your ERP’s value.

• Data Conversions from Legacy ERP Systems
  Data plays a pivotal role in driving informed decision-making and ensuring business continuity. Clean data conversions are essential to migrate critical information from your legacy ERP systems to STORIS. By preserving historical data, we empower your organization to leverage its valuable context directly in your STORIS ERP. STORIS’ data conversion experts facilitate the transfer of historical data through a structured software conversion. Extracting and importing accurate data is one of the most critical components of a successful implementation. A strategy for testing and validating data conversions will ensure the launch’s success and instill trust in your end users during this transition.

• Status Alignment and KPI Review
  During the Transformation phase, weekly status check-ins and progress benchmarking keep the implementation progressing. Project Managers track milestones, open action items, and scope changes to keep your project on track to meet your go-live target date.
  
  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of an ERP implementation. Some common KPIs include project timeline adherence, training progress, testing counts and results, data integrity validation, and system performance.

The culmination of your ERP implementation is the Go-Live phase. Your planning and preparation are about to be put into action. On go-live day, we’ll cut over from your legacy software solutions and STORIS becomes your production environment for processing daily operations.

• Testing and Refinement
  Before your go-live day, final testing of settings and processes takes center stage. Together, we conduct comprehensive testing to ensure your STORIS ERP solution functions smoothly between all processes, integrations, and converted data. Your project manager collaborates with your project team to identify any final process refinements needed and address open items for a smooth go-live.
  
  For enterprise organizations, mock go-lives replicate the cutover process like a dress rehearsal. This allows us to identify and mitigate challenges in advance, gain valuable information on the timing to execute each step, and instill confidence in the process through experience.

• Dedicated Go-Live & Post-Live Support
  You’ve put what you’ve learned into practice, and your team is ready for your official cutover. Today, STORIS will become the live solution for your back-end operations and front-end customer engagements.
  
  On go-live day, team STORIS is there to support you. This includes on-site consultants who provide functional and technical assistance and a virtual support room from STORIS headquarters staffed with functional and technical experts who can effectively support stores across multiple regions. Leveraging this proven hybrid go-live support approach, we are fully committed to ensuring a successful transition to the STORIS ERP through on-the-spot training.
  
  The support we provide your organization extends well beyond the go-live day milestone. Post-LIVE status meetings to tackle open action items carry on through the first 90 days. A dedicated STORIS Support point person takes the lead on calls to the Helpline. During this time, your team will naturally gain comfort in their daily tasks on your STORIS Solution, and we are there to guide them.

“Thank you for joining me on this ERP implementation journey. We can’t wait to collaborate with your team on your own ERP conversion soon! With STORIS’ proven approach and unwavering commitment to excellence, the possibilities for technological advancements are limitless.” Jake Egan, Sr. Manager of Consulting Services

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The Journey Continues…

The journey with STORIS’ client services team is just beginning once you go live. Discover our approach to Client Relations Advocacy and how this team is here to support you as trusted resources throughout our partnership.

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