ERP cannot resolve a process nobody has agreed on

Map the process before the modules

Microsoft’s process-focused guidance treats business processes as project drivers and technology as an enabler, rather than assuming the new system will define the organisation’s processes.

Create a one-page map identifying the requester, approver, operator and reviewer. Include missing evidence and unavailable approvers, not only the path on which every action succeeds.

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Separate current work from the target

Trace one completed transaction and one problematic transaction. Record re-entry, messages and waiting points. Write the target process separately; do not tidy the description of current work until it no longer represents reality.

For example, a receiver may send photographs to a manager who re-enters receipts because only the manager has access. A receiving role and review point may solve this more directly than another approval layer.

Give data and decisions accountable owners

Assign ownership for item codes, units, suppliers and sensitive details before import. Define duplicate checks and amendment rights. Changes to supplier identity or purchase units after approval should prompt consideration of whether that approval still applies.

Describe permissions as actions: create, approve, receive, amend, cancel and report. A broad Admin label does not explain who should decide about money or change evidence.

Test scenarios, not whether menus open

Include an ordinary purchase, partial receipt, return, changed price, absent approver and duplicate request. Specify initial data, authorised actor, action, expected outcome and retained evidence.

A half-delivery test should cover the outstanding quantity, bill status, notifications and traceability. A green indicator alone is insufficient without agreement about its underlying quantities and meaning.

Choose a scope the team can support

Separate launch requirements from work temporarily handled by the old process and requirements deferred to a later phase. Name the person authorised to pause or roll back when records disagree. One branch or one cycle can form a useful first boundary.

Track completion time, work outside the system and reasons for avoiding steps. When every transaction still requires a parallel chat, investigate the missing information or workflow before blaming user resistance.

Apply it to your business

ERP helps enact operating rules. Clarifying those rules and decisions can be more valuable than adding a module when the underlying process is still unclear.