Adaptive 7
Adaptive 7 Is The Opposite Of Unique
I developed the Adaptive 7 methodology because I needed a methodology to explain how the Eight Pillars fit into an implementation – I didn’t want anything unique, I wanted something generic.
I have used several different implementation methodologies and found that they all share common elements. In addition to my own experience, for Adaptive 7 I studied and synthesized major phases from several different implementation partners.
The Adaptive 7 ERP Implementation Lifecycle
You can explore the seven phases of “Adaptive 7” by clicking any of the buttons below.
The Agile ERP Implementation?
Agile methodologies promise speed, flexibility, and early ROI. But applying pure Agile dogma to a monolithic ERP implementation can be dangerous. “Monolithic” is a dirty word in the technology world, but with ERP systems, the ‘monolith’ is where the value is.
ERP projects are not custom software builds. After years in agile software development, I understand the value of the agile approach. Success depends on adapting agile to the constraints of an integrated system. Here is what works and what doesn’t.
Applying Agile Principles - What You CAN and SHOULD Do
An incremental approach is essential for reducing risk and maintaining momentum.
Shrink the Initial Release
The first release, and every release after that, should be as small as it can be, while still delivering value.
Work in Sprints
Work in sprints to gauge velocity, get feedback, adjust accordingly, and avoid the ‘deadline rush.’.
Work as a Team
The IT team and the business should work one team, collaborating daily.
Work Interatively
Work should be delivered iteratively, not in ‘one big reveal’. This is true of everything you do, particularly data migration.
Demonstrate Frequently
Functionality should be demonstrated frequently, in as realistic a fashion as possible. UAT is not the time for big surprises.
Deliver Future Functionaliy
After the first release, the MVP, work can be delivered in smaller pieces and still deliver value.
Why the 90-Day Go-Live is a Myth (What You Con't Do)
The idea of implementing your first ERP release in a few months is attractive—but almost always naive.
The Indivisible ERP
Much of the value of an ERP system comes from its integrated nature. Unless you’re in an environment with no legacy ERP system, providing a first release that adds value makes the first release inherently large.
If you make the first release too small, you end up creating expensive, risky, throw-away integrations, or worse, entering data and keeping it in synch in two systems.
Adaptive 7 Phases
Explore & Commit
Purpose
Strategic alignment and decision-making. Its purpose is to thoroughly investigate the business need, explore potential solutions, define a clear vision for transformation, and build a robust, data-driven business case. The ultimate goal is to secure executive and stakeholder consensus and formal commitment to proceed with the significant investment of an ERP project, armed with a clear roadmap and understanding of the expected value.
Key Activities
- Strategic Definition: Define the business-led vision, transformation objectives, and desired future-state capabilities.
- Solution Exploration: Evaluate ERP solution capabilities, often using trial systems, to understand the potential business value and alignment with needs.
- Process Analysis: Conduct a high-level analysis of current business processes to identify critical pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities for standardization and improvement.
- Business Case Development: Create a comprehensive business case with a clear return on investment (ROI) analysis, outlining expected costs, benefits, and performance metrics.
- Partner and Product Selection: Finalize the selection of the ERP software and the implementation partner that best align with the organization’s strategic needs and technical architecture.
- Roadmap Creation: Develop a high-level strategic roadmap for the implementation and a long-term plan for technology adoption.
Adaptive 7 Phases
Explore & Commit
Purpose
Strategic alignment and decision-making. Its purpose is to thoroughly investigate the business need, explore potential solutions, define a clear vision for transformation, and build a robust, data-driven business case. The ultimate goal is to secure executive and stakeholder consensus and formal commitment to proceed with the significant investment of an ERP project, armed with a clear roadmap and understanding of the expected value.
Key Activities
- Strategic Definition: Define the business-led vision, transformation objectives, and desired future-state capabilities.
- Solution Exploration: Evaluate ERP solution capabilities, often using trial systems, to understand the potential business value and alignment with needs.
- Process Analysis: Conduct a high-level analysis of current business processes to identify critical pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities for standardization and improvement.
- Business Case Development: Create a comprehensive business case with a clear return on investment (ROI) analysis, outlining expected costs, benefits, and performance metrics.
- Partner and Product Selection: Finalize the selection of the ERP software and the implementation partner that best align with the organization’s strategic needs and technical architecture.
- Roadmap Creation: Develop a high-level strategic roadmap for the implementation and a long-term plan for technology adoption.
Plan & Activate
Purpose
This phase marks the official start of the implementation project. Its purpose is to translate the strategic roadmap into a detailed, executable project plan, mobilize the full project team, establish rigorous governance, and prepare the initial technical environments. The outcome is a fully activated project, with clear direction, defined roles, and the foundational infrastructure in place to begin execution.
Key Activities
- Detailed Project Planning: Finalize and document the detailed project scope, timeline, budget and WBS.
- Team Mobilization: Formally assign the project team, clarify all roles and responsibilities, and conduct team orientation and training.
- Governance Establishment: Implement the project governance structure, including steering committees, issue resolution paths, and communication plans.
- Change Management Initiation: Develop and launch the formal change management and stakeholder engagement strategy.
- Environment Provisioning: Set up the initial system landscapes, including development, testing, and sandbox environments.
- Solution Blueprint Review: Conduct a mandatory review of the high-level solution architecture and project approach to identify risks and ensure a solid foundation before the build phase begins.
Design & Build
Purpose
This is the core execution phase where the conceptual solution becomes a tangible reality. Its purpose is to conduct a detailed analysis of business requirements against the standard system capabilities and then to configure, customize, and build the complete solution in a series of iterative cycles. The goal is to systematically work through a backlog of requirements to construct a fully integrated and functional system environment.
Key Activities
- Fit-to-Standard Analysis: Conduct workshops with business stakeholders to demonstrate standard system processes, validate how they meet requirements, and formally identify and document all “gaps” or delta requirements.
- Detailed Solution Design: Create the detailed design for the target architecture, including specifications for configurations, integrations, data models, security roles, and any necessary custom extensions.
- Iterative Configuration and Development: Build and configure the solution in a series of agile sprints, addressing the backlog of requirements identified during the design workshops.
- Data Migration and Cleansing: Execute the data migration strategy by cleansing legacy data, performing initial data loads into the test environments, and validating the results.
- Integration Development: Build and unit test all required integrations to third-party and legacy systems.
- Documentation and Training Preparation: Begin developing key user documentation and end-user training materials based on the configured system.
Validate
Purpose
This phase is a comprehensive quality assurance campaign. Its purpose is to rigorously test the constructed solution from every angle to ensure it is functionally correct, technically sound, and meets all business requirements before being deployed to the organization. This systematic validation de-risks the go-live by proactively identifying and resolving defects.
Key Activities
- End-to-End Testing: Execute test scripts that span multiple modules and integrations to validate entire business processes from start to finish.
- Parallel Testing: For mission-critical processes like payroll, run the new system and the legacy system simultaneously with the same data to compare outputs and ensure 100% accuracy.
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Facilitate testing by business end-users to formally confirm that the system meets their documented requirements and is fit for purpose.
- Performance and Security Testing: Conduct stress testing to ensure the system can handle peak transaction volumes and penetration testing to validate the security architecture.
- Defect Management: Log, prioritize, and manage the resolution of all defects identified during testing, conducting re-testing as needed.
Launch
Purpose
This phase manages the meticulously planned transition of the business from its legacy systems to the new ERP. Its purpose is to ensure the organization is fully prepared for the change, execute a seamless technical cutover, and provide intensive, immediate support to ensure a stable and successful go-live.
Key Activities
- End-User Training Delivery: Execute the comprehensive training plan for all users across the organization.
- Cutover Rehearsal: Conduct a full “dress rehearsal” of the cutover plan to validate all steps, timelines, and responsibilities.
- Go-Live Readiness Review: Perform a final, mandatory review of all technical and business readiness criteria to make the final go/no-go decision.
- Production Cutover: Execute the final data migration and deploy the configured solution into the live production environment.
- Hypercare Support: Initiate a period of heightened, dedicated post-go-live support to rapidly address user questions and resolve critical operational issues.
Stabilize
Purpose
This phase focuses on achieving a “steady state” of normal business operations following the go-live and hypercare period. Its purpose is to formally transition responsibility from the implementation project team to the permanent operational support structure and to resolve any non-urgent, lingering issues from the launch
Key Activities
- Transition to Operations: Formally hand over system support and maintenance responsibilities to the long-term IT support team and/or a Customer Center of Expertise (CCoE).
- Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor system performance, user adoption rates, and key business metrics to ensure the system is operating as expected.
- Issue Resolution: Manage the resolution of any remaining low-priority defects from the project backlog.
- Post-Implementation Review: Conduct a lessons-learned workshop to capture what went well and what could be improved, documenting insights for future projects and phases.
- Operational Optimization: Refine standard operating procedures for ongoing system administration, support, and maintenance.
Grow
Purpose
This final, ongoing phase is centered on long-term value realization and continuous improvement. Its purpose is to evolve the ERP system from a stable operational tool into a strategic asset that continually adapts and delivers new value to the business. The goal is to maximize the long-term return on the ERP investment.
Key Activities
- Enhancement Management: Manage a prioritized backlog of new feature requests and business improvements to be implemented in future releases.
- Continuous Improvement: Proactively monitor business processes and performance indicators to identify new opportunities for optimization and value creation.
- Release Management: Plan for, test, and deploy regular system upgrades and new feature releases provided by the software vendor.
- Adoption and Value Realization: Drive deeper user adoption and measure business value against the original business case through ongoing training and value-auditing initiatives.
- Strategic Evolution: Explore and implement additional modules and capabilities (e.g., advanced analytics, CRM, supply chain planning) to expand the strategic footprint of the ERP platform.
Plan & Activate
Purpose
This phase marks the official start of the implementation project. Its purpose is to translate the strategic roadmap into a detailed, executable project plan, mobilize the full project team, establish rigorous governance, and prepare the initial technical environments. The outcome is a fully activated project, with clear direction, defined roles, and the foundational infrastructure in place to begin execution.
Key Activities
- Detailed Project Planning: Finalize and document the detailed project scope, timeline, budget and WBS.
- Team Mobilization: Formally assign the project team, clarify all roles and responsibilities, and conduct team orientation and training.
- Governance Establishment: Implement the project governance structure, including steering committees, issue resolution paths, and communication plans.
- Change Management Initiation: Develop and launch the formal change management and stakeholder engagement strategy.
- Environment Provisioning: Set up the initial system landscapes, including development, testing, and sandbox environments.
- Solution Blueprint Review: Conduct a mandatory review of the high-level solution architecture and project approach to identify risks and ensure a solid foundation before the build phase begins.
Design & Build
Purpose
This is the core execution phase where the conceptual solution becomes a tangible reality. Its purpose is to conduct a detailed analysis of business requirements against the standard system capabilities and then to configure, customize, and build the complete solution in a series of iterative cycles. The goal is to systematically work through a backlog of requirements to construct a fully integrated and functional system environment.
Key Activities
- Fit-to-Standard Analysis: Conduct workshops with business stakeholders to demonstrate standard system processes, validate how they meet requirements, and formally identify and document all “gaps” or delta requirements.
- Detailed Solution Design: Create the detailed design for the target architecture, including specifications for configurations, integrations, data models, security roles, and any necessary custom extensions.
- Iterative Configuration and Development: Build and configure the solution in a series of agile sprints, addressing the backlog of requirements identified during the design workshops.
- Data Migration and Cleansing: Execute the data migration strategy by cleansing legacy data, performing initial data loads into the test environments, and validating the results.
- Integration Development: Build and unit test all required integrations to third-party and legacy systems.
- Documentation and Training Preparation: Begin developing key user documentation and end-user training materials based on the configured system.
Validate
Purpose
This phase is a comprehensive quality assurance campaign. Its purpose is to rigorously test the constructed solution from every angle to ensure it is functionally correct, technically sound, and meets all business requirements before being deployed to the organization. This systematic validation de-risks the go-live by proactively identifying and resolving defects.
Key Activities
- End-to-End Testing: Execute test scripts that span multiple modules and integrations to validate entire business processes from start to finish.
- Parallel Testing: For mission-critical processes like payroll, run the new system and the legacy system simultaneously with the same data to compare outputs and ensure 100% accuracy.
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Facilitate testing by business end-users to formally confirm that the system meets their documented requirements and is fit for purpose.
- Performance and Security Testing: Conduct stress testing to ensure the system can handle peak transaction volumes and penetration testing to validate the security architecture.
- Defect Management: Log, prioritize, and manage the resolution of all defects identified during testing, conducting re-testing as needed.
Launch
Purpose
This phase manages the meticulously planned transition of the business from its legacy systems to the new ERP. Its purpose is to ensure the organization is fully prepared for the change, execute a seamless technical cutover, and provide intensive, immediate support to ensure a stable and successful go-live.
Key Activities
- End-User Training Delivery: Execute the comprehensive training plan for all users across the organization.
- Cutover Rehearsal: Conduct a full “dress rehearsal” of the cutover plan to validate all steps, timelines, and responsibilities.
- Go-Live Readiness Review: Perform a final, mandatory review of all technical and business readiness criteria to make the final go/no-go decision.
- Production Cutover: Execute the final data migration and deploy the configured solution into the live production environment.
- Hypercare Support: Initiate a period of heightened, dedicated post-go-live support to rapidly address user questions and resolve critical operational issues.
Stabilize
Purpose
This phase focuses on achieving a “steady state” of normal business operations following the go-live and hypercare period. Its purpose is to formally transition responsibility from the implementation project team to the permanent operational support structure and to resolve any non-urgent, lingering issues from the launch
Key Activities
- Transition to Operations: Formally hand over system support and maintenance responsibilities to the long-term IT support team and/or a Customer Center of Expertise (CCoE).
- Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor system performance, user adoption rates, and key business metrics to ensure the system is operating as expected.
- Issue Resolution: Manage the resolution of any remaining low-priority defects from the project backlog.
- Post-Implementation Review: Conduct a lessons-learned workshop to capture what went well and what could be improved, documenting insights for future projects and phases.
- Operational Optimization: Refine standard operating procedures for ongoing system administration, support, and maintenance.
Grow
Purpose
This final, ongoing phase is centered on long-term value realization and continuous improvement. Its purpose is to evolve the ERP system from a stable operational tool into a strategic asset that continually adapts and delivers new value to the business. The goal is to maximize the long-term return on the ERP investment.
Key Activities
- Enhancement Management: Manage a prioritized backlog of new feature requests and business improvements to be implemented in future releases.
- Continuous Improvement: Proactively monitor business processes and performance indicators to identify new opportunities for optimization and value creation.
- Release Management: Plan for, test, and deploy regular system upgrades and new feature releases provided by the software vendor.
- Adoption and Value Realization: Drive deeper user adoption and measure business value against the original business case through ongoing training and value-auditing initiatives.
- Strategic Evolution: Explore and implement additional modules and capabilities (e.g., advanced analytics, CRM, supply chain planning) to expand the strategic footprint of the ERP platform.
