ERP systems must be designed from the outset to support the business. Organizations cannot expect system integrators to develop these designs alone. Integrators are technical experts – not business process experts. This is why the business should be responsible for, among other things, defining the vision and operational expectations for the future state of each business process that the new system will impact.

If the business fails to fully embrace its role in a system implementation, it can potentially face significant and costly risks. Interminable project delays and budget overruns, business disruption post go-live and insufficient user adoption are just a few common examples. Even when the project is supported by a strong system integrator, it is critical for the business to assume responsibility for key activities before, during and after the implementation. The seven areas below are the responsibility of the business. We discuss each of them in the sections that follow.