Free Tool

ERP implementation
readiness checklist.

Most of what makes an ERP implementation go smoothly happens before kickoff. Work through these eleven items and write down an answer for each one. If you can't name a person, a date, or a list for a line, that's the gap to close first.

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  1. 01

    Systems vs process

    Write down the three to five problems the ERP needs to solve, and move anything an SOP would fix onto a separate process list.

    Write down: The three to five problems the ERP must solve, and your separate process list.

  2. 02

    Cross-team buy-in

    Have each affected team (ecommerce, operations, finance, CX, wholesale) document its own challenges and what it needs solved.

    Write down: Each team, who documented its challenges, and where that document lives.

  3. 03

    Timing

    Choose a date or a specific window that avoids peak, marketplace launches, and big-box retail onboarding.

    Write down: Your cutover date or window, and the dates you are working around.

  4. 04

    Owner and team

    Name one owner, a small core team, and a backup for each core team member.

    Write down: Owner, core team members, and the backup for each.

  5. 05

    Calendars

    Map holidays and PTO for the core team across the whole timeline, including the cutover week.

    Write down: Holidays, long weekends, and PTO that fall inside the timeline.

  6. 06

    3PLs

    Notify your 3PLs in writing, and open integration threads between them and your ERP vendor early.

    Write down: Each 3PL, the date you notified them, their notice period, and the integration contact.

  7. 07

    Contracts

    List every contract on the order-to-cash path with its renewal and termination dates.

    Write down: Each contract, its renewal date, and its termination notice window.

  8. 08

    What's next

    List the next six to twelve months of planned change, and mark each item as day-one or later.

    Write down: Each planned change, marked day-one or later.

  9. 09

    Data

    Clean and reconcile your SKUs, packs, costs, and locations before migration starts.

    Write down: Who owns the cleanup, the reconcile date, and how open POs, wholesale orders, and in-transit stock will be handled at cutover.

  10. 10

    Discovery

    Get the scoping questions in advance, assign each section to the person who owns that area, and plan which workstreams can run in parallel.

    Write down: Each scoping section and its owner, and which workstreams run in parallel.

  11. 11

    Dual-run and close

    Budget time for dual-running and a slower first month-end close.

    Write down: How long you will dual-run, your first close date, and who knows the old payout and COGS path.

Want the reasoning behind each item? Read the full guide: How do I prepare for an ERP implementation so it goes smoothly?

PDF template

Fill it in and share it.

A fillable PDF with a field for every item, plus your company, owner, and target cutover date. Type straight into it, or print it for your kickoff prep meeting.

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AI prompt

Talk it through with AI.

Paste the prompt into Claude or ChatGPT. It walks you through each item, pushes back on vague answers, and hands you a written plan with a list of open gaps.

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The assistant asks you about each item in turn, then writes up your answers as one plan.

I'm preparing for an ERP implementation and want to turn this readiness checklist into a written plan.

1. Systems vs process: Write down the three to five problems the ERP needs to solve, and move anything an SOP would fix onto a separate process list.
2. Cross-team buy-in: Have each affected team (ecommerce, operations, finance, CX, wholesale) document its own challenges and what it needs solved.
3. Timing: Choose a date or a specific window that avoids peak, marketplace launches, and big-box retail onboarding.
4. Owner and team: Name one owner, a small core team, and a backup for each core team member.
5. Calendars: Map holidays and PTO for the core team across the whole timeline, including the cutover week.
6. 3PLs: Notify your 3PLs in writing, and open integration threads between them and your ERP vendor early.
7. Contracts: List every contract on the order-to-cash path with its renewal and termination dates.
8. What's next: List the next six to twelve months of planned change, and mark each item as day-one or later.
9. Data: Clean and reconcile your SKUs, packs, costs, and locations before migration starts.
10. Discovery: Get the scoping questions in advance, assign each section to the person who owns that area, and plan which workstreams can run in parallel.
11. Dual-run and close: Budget time for dual-running and a slower first month-end close.

Work through the checklist with me one item at a time. For each item, ask me the questions you need to fill it in, then write down my answer as a specific commitment: names, dates, and lists, not general intentions. If my answer is vague or missing, say so and tell me what I need to find out before kickoff.

When we've covered every item, give me the finished plan as a single document with one section per checklist item, followed by a short list of open gaps I still need to close.

Planning an
ERP implementation?

Talk to the team that runs Fulfil implementations about scoping, timing, and cutover.

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