# ERP Installation Process Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/erp-installation-implementation-testing-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer One checklist for the whole ERP install: implementation agreement, environments, configuration, data load, application testing sign-off and go-live. Works for Microsoft Dynamics and any other ERP. ## Category erp-migration ## Audience - ERP project manager - IT manager - ERP consultant - Plant controller ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### 1. Implementation agreement and scope **Items:** **Text:** Statement of work names the modules, legal entities, sites and languages in scope, and lists what is explicitly out of scope **Critical:** true **Text:** Deliverables are defined with acceptance criteria (for example fit-gap document, configured test system, trained key users, signed-off UAT) **Critical:** true Responsibilities are split in writing: what the vendor or partner does, what your team does, what third parties do **Text:** Fixed price, time and materials or capped model is stated, with the change-request process and rates for scope changes **Critical:** true Licensing (user types, modules, environments) is confirmed against the actual user list before signing **Text:** Data ownership, data protection terms and where the data is hosted are written into the agreement **Critical:** true Warranty period, defect-fix obligations and post-go-live support hours are defined Named key people on both sides and a decision-escalation path are listed #### 2. Environments and installation **Items:** **Text:** Environment plan lists development, test or sandbox, UAT and production, who owns each and how code and configuration move between them **Critical:** true Hardware or cloud sizing is signed off for production (CPU, memory, storage, database edition) against user count and transaction volume Installation prerequisites are met: supported operating system, database version, runtime components, ports and certificates Service accounts follow least privilege, with passwords stored in a vault and not in install scripts TLS certificates are installed and tested for web client, API and any reporting endpoints **Text:** Backup and restore of the database is configured and a test restore has actually been performed **Critical:** true Monitoring and alerting cover the application server, database and integration services Single sign-on, identity provider and user provisioning method are configured and tested in a non-production environment **Text:** Installation steps are written down as a runbook so production can be built the same way as test **Critical:** true #### 3. Configuration and data load **Items:** **Text:** Chart of accounts, fiscal calendar, currencies and tax set-up are agreed with finance before transactions are tested **Critical:** true Master data owners are named for items, customers, vendors, bills of material and routings Number series, posting groups or equivalent defaults are configured and documented **Text:** Roles and permissions are mapped from job roles, with segregation-of-duties conflicts reviewed **Critical:** true Data cleansing is done in the source system before extract, with duplicates and inactive records removed **Text:** Trial data migrations are run at least twice, each with reconciliation of record counts and balances **Critical:** true Opening balances (GL, AR, AP, inventory valuation) reconcile to the legacy system on the cut-off date Integrations (EDI, banks, shop floor, e-commerce, payroll) have interface specs and test files Custom code and reports are inventoried, with owners and test cases #### 4. Application testing and sign-off **Items:** **Text:** Test plan covers end-to-end scenarios (order to cash, procure to pay, plan to produce, record to report), not only single screens **Critical:** true Test scripts have expected results written before execution, and each is traced to a requirement Testers are business users, not only the implementation team **Text:** Defects are logged with severity, owner and retest status; no open critical or high defects at sign-off **Critical:** true Role-based testing confirms users can do their jobs and cannot do what they should not Performance test uses realistic volumes (month-end posting, MRP or planning run, large report) Integration tests run against real partner or bank test endpoints where available Regression test is repeated after every fix package or platform update **Text:** Written UAT sign-off by each process owner is collected and filed **Critical:** true #### 5. Training, cutover and go-live **Items:** Key users are trained before UAT and end users before go-live, with quick-reference guides for the top tasks **Text:** Cutover plan lists tasks, owners, durations and dependencies down to the hour, with a rehearsal completed **Critical:** true Freeze dates for legacy transactions and master data changes are communicated **Text:** Go and no-go criteria are agreed in advance and checked at a go-live meeting **Critical:** true Rollback plan exists with a point after which rollback is no longer possible Hypercare roster, support channel and issue triage rules are published before go-live First month-end close is planned with finance, including a review of subledger to GL reconciliation Legacy system access is retained read-only for audit and reference for the agreed period **Scoring Note:** Tick each item as it is confirmed. Critical items should all be ticked before you move to the next phase. A phase with open critical items is a risk to the schedule, not just a paperwork gap. ## Content **Intro:** This ERP installation process checklist walks one project from the signed implementation agreement through environment build, configuration, data load, application testing and go-live. It is written for Microsoft Dynamics projects but the order of work is the same for most ERPs. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Work through the five groups in order and tick items as you confirm them with evidence, not as you assume them. Items marked critical are the ones that most often cause late surprises: scope boundaries, backups that have never been restored, data reconciliation and written test sign-off. Export the checklist to PDF or Excel and attach it to the project plan so the steering group sees the same status as the project team. Use it again at each phase gate rather than once at the start. #### What the implementation agreement must cover **Body:** Most disputes in ERP projects trace back to an agreement that was vague about scope or acceptance. The checklist focuses on what is easy to leave out. **Bullets:** - Named modules, entities, sites and integrations in scope, and an out-of-scope list - Acceptance criteria for each deliverable, so completion is not a matter of opinion - Split of responsibilities, including who supplies data cleansing and test resources - Change-request process and rates - Data ownership, hosting location and data protection obligations - Warranty period and post-go-live support terms #### Installation and environment pitfalls **Body:** Whether you install on premises or provision a cloud tenant, the environment plan decides how safely changes move to production. Build production from a written runbook, not from memory, so it matches the tested system. Confirm the supported database and operating system versions for your ERP release before you buy hardware. On premises, check that service accounts, certificates and ports are agreed with IT security early, because these requests often have a lead time of weeks. A restore test of the database is the single most valuable check in this group. #### Application testing and sign-off **Body:** Application testing is more than clicking through screens. Test whole business scenarios with the people who will run them, write expected results before execution and keep every defect visible until it is closed or formally accepted. Repeat regression tests after each fix package. Collect a signed UAT acceptance from each process owner; this is the document the steering group should see before approving go-live. For test scripts and a defect log, see the related templates linked on this page. **Cta:** If you want an ERP assistant that answers questions from your live data on your own servers after go-live, Netray can add a private AI layer on top of the system you install. The checklist works without it. **Faq:** #### What are the main steps in an ERP installation process? **Answer:** Typically: agree scope and the implementation agreement, plan and build environments, install and configure the software, load and reconcile data, test the application with business users, train people, cut over and support the first weeks after go-live. #### Is this checklist only for Microsoft ERP? **Answer:** The phases apply to any ERP. Environment details differ, for example Business Central on premises needs a service tier and SQL Server while a cloud tenant is provisioned in an admin center, but scope, data, testing and cutover tasks are the same. #### What should an ERP application testing checklist include? **Answer:** End-to-end scenarios, role-based access tests, integration tests, performance with realistic volumes, a defect log with severity, regression after fixes, and a written sign-off by each process owner before go-live is approved. #### How long does ERP installation and implementation take? **Answer:** The software install itself may take days, but a full implementation for a small or mid-size manufacturer commonly runs several months. Data migration and testing, not installation, usually decide the schedule. ## Search terms erp installation process checklist, microsoft erp installation checklist, erp implementation agreement checklist, erp application testing checklist, erp implementation checklist pdf, dynamics 365 implementation checklist, erp go live checklist, erp uat sign off checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json