Job Shop ERP Go-Live Readiness Assessment
Most failed job shop ERP go-lives were predictable: unclean data, an overloaded project owner or no cutover plan. This assessment scores those areas in a few minutes.
1. How clean is the part, routing and customer data you plan to load?
2. Have you run a trial import into a test environment?
3. Is there a named internal project owner with time set aside?
4. How much training have the office users completed?
5. How ready are shop floor operators to use data collection?
6. Is the cutover plan written, including open jobs and open orders?
7. Have accounting integration and opening balances been tested?
8. Do you have a fallback plan if go-live fails in the first two weeks?
9. Is the go-live date set around your busiest delivery period?
How to use the assessment
Answer each question honestly, ideally with the project owner and the office lead together. The score is a percentage of the maximum, and the band tells you what to fix first. Retake it every two weeks as the project proceeds and aim to bring the lowest areas up before the go-live date is locked.
- Score as a team, not alone
- Lock the go-live date only after a score above 65
- Retake after each milestone
What the questions cover
Data readiness, trial imports and accounting tests address technical risk. Project ownership, training and operator readiness address people risk. The cutover plan, fallback and date choice address timing risk. Weakness in any one area can overturn strength elsewhere.
Common mistakes
Treating go-live as an IT event instead of a shop-wide change is the most common one. Teams also skip rehearsals, assume operators will adapt on the day, and schedule go-live in a month with heavy shipments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What score should I aim for before go-live?
A score above 65 percent is a reasonable minimum, and above 85 percent is better. Any answer of zero on data, cutover or fallback should be fixed before you proceed.
How long before go-live should I take this?
Take it about two months before the planned date, then every two weeks. That leaves time to fix gaps without moving the date.
Do small shops need a full cutover rehearsal?
Yes, in a smaller form. Load a copy of data into the sandbox and process a sample of open jobs from quote to invoice. It finds issues cheaply.
Should we run old and new systems in parallel?
Short parallel runs on a subset of jobs can build confidence, but full parallel entry doubles workload and often tires the team. Define the end date for the old system in advance.
If your score shows gaps, Netray can review your data and cutover plan, and help set up read-only reporting so you can see problems early.
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