MRP Go-Live Cutover Checklist (Free, PDF)

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9 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

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Master data

Item master cleaned: duplicates merged, units of measure confirmedCRITICALEvery active BOM reviewed and approved by engineeringCRITICALRoutings loaded with realistic setup and run timesWork centers and shifts entered with available hoursSuppliers loaded with lead times and minimum order quantitiesCustomers and ship-to addresses loadedCosting method and standard costs agreed with finance

Opening balances

Physical inventory count done within 48 hours of the cutoverCRITICALCounted stock loaded by location and lot, then reconciled to the count sheetsCRITICALOpen sales orders loaded with remaining quantities onlyOpen purchase orders loaded with remaining quantities and datesCRITICALWork in progress converted to either finished or open jobs, with a rule agreedOpening stock value agreed with the accounting ledgerOpen invoices and payments handled in accounting, not the MRP

People and training

Every user trained on their own daily tasks with real recordsCRITICALPrinted quick-reference sheet for receiving, issuing and shippingRoles and permissions set and tested per user groupA named super user per shiftVendor support contacts and response times confirmed

Process and tooling

Barcode labels and scanners tested on real partsTest run of one job from quote to shipment, signed offCRITICALIntegration with accounting tested with a sample dayReports and print forms checked: pick list, packing list, work orderBackup and data export testedOld system set to read only after the cutover

Cutover and fallback

Freeze date and time communicated to sales, purchasing and the floorCRITICALPaper fallback process ready for the first two daysGo/no-go meeting held with a written decisionCRITICALRollback criteria defined: what failure means we return to the old wayDaily review meeting set for the first two weeksIssue log opened with an owner for each itemFirst month-end close planned with finance

Do not set a go-live date until all critical items are ticked. Review the list at a go/no-go meeting two days before cutover.

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How to use the checklist

Assign each group to an owner: engineering for BOMs, the warehouse lead for balances, finance for costs, the plant manager for people. Review it weekly during the project, then hold a go/no-go meeting two days before cutover. Items marked critical block the date. Keep the printed list on the wall and tick items with a name and a date.

One owner per group
Weekly review before cutover
Critical items block the date
Record the decision in writing

Opening balances done right

Count stock close to the freeze and load it by location and lot. Load only open quantities on sales and purchase orders, never history. Decide how work in progress is handled: finish the jobs on the old system, or reopen them with remaining operations. Reconcile the opening stock value with the ledger, because a mismatch on day one becomes a variance every month afterwards.

People, not just data

Train each person on their own tasks using real parts, not a demo company. Name a super user for every shift, because the first questions come at 6 a.m. Plan a short daily meeting for two weeks to clear issues quickly. Expect productivity to dip in the first week and tell customers about possible delays in advance.

Common mistakes

Loading dirty data to hit a date, skipping the final count, loading every historic order, training in a sandbox with fake parts, and having no rollback line. Also common is leaving the old system writable, so two sources of truth appear. Decide the point of no return and communicate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long before go-live should I count inventory?

Count as close to the freeze as practical, ideally within 48 hours, and stop movements between the count and the load or log them to apply afterward. A count weeks earlier forces large corrections after go-live and undermines trust in the new system on day one.

Should I migrate historical orders?

Usually not. Load open orders and keep history in the old system or an export for reference. History adds migration cost and risk for little daily value. Migrate summary figures if reporting needs them, such as annual usage per part for planning.

What is a sensible go-live window?

Choose a quiet week away from month end, a major shipment or a customer audit. Many small plants cut over on a weekend and run the first week with extra support staff. Avoid going live in the last week of the quarter if finance depends on clean numbers.

When should we roll back?

Define criteria in advance, such as being unable to ship orders for a full day or stock errors that cannot be resolved by the daily meeting. Rollback is only practical in the first days, before new transactions pile up, so decide early and keep the old system intact.

If you want help planning data migration and cutover for an ERP or MRP, Netray can review your plan.

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