Technology
Technology Related Goals and Activities by Phase
The Technology Pillar is the basic infrastructure, including software, hardware, and services, that allows the ERP platform to function. Getting the technology right ensures the ERP system can support growth and handle future innovations.
Explore & Commit
Goals
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Define the enterprise technology vision (e.g., "cloud-first").
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Assess the current technology landscape and gaps.
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Evaluate the technology stack of candidate ERPs.
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Validate partner's technical and architectural expertise.
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Define the target enterprise architecture.
Activities
Technology decisions in this phase, are strategic. The goal is to choose a platform and partner that fit the organization’s long-term vision.
The organization sets key technology principles, such as a “cloud-first” strategy, and evaluates its existing infrastructure. This assessment reveals technical debt and integration problems that the new ERP must tackle.
Candidate ERP solutions are carefully assessed based on architecture, scalability, security, integration capabilities, and deployment options (Cloud, On-Premises, Hybrid). The implementation partner’s experience with the chosen technology stack and modern practices, like cloud management, is verified. The phase, ends with a finalized target architecture and technology roadmap.
Plan & Activate
Goals
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Plan the detailed technical architecture and design.
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Provision all non-production system environments.
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Establish technical governance and change control.
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Develop detailed technical workstream plans.
Activities
The high-level technology roadmap is turned into a detailed execution plan. The technical team defines the specifics of the infrastructure, network setup, security architecture, and all system integrations.
Initial system environments are created and set up, including Development, Sandbox, and Quality Assurance/Testing environments.
Processes for managing technical changes are formalized. The team puts in place procedures for handling and deploying configurations and code through the environment landscape (e.g., Dev to Test). Detailed work plans are created for all technical teams.
Design & Build
Goals
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Build and configure the technical infrastructure.
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Develop and unit test all system integrations.
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Implement and configure security controls.
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Implement CI/CD pipelines and automation
Activities
This is the main execution phase, where the technical architecture takes shape. Production-ready infrastructure (on-premises or cloud) is built to meet performance and reliability standards.
System integrations are developed using APIs or middleware. Unit testing checks that they work correctly before being linked into end-to-end processes.
Security roles and permissions are set up according to design specifications, including role-based access controls (RBAC) and single sign-on (SSO). Basic elements of the DevOps pipeline, such as automated CI/CD for deploying changes, may also be put in place.
Validate'
Goals
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Validate the system's non-functional requirements.
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Conduct rigorous performance and load testing
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Perform security and penetration testing.
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Test disaster recovery (DR) procedures.
Activities
Testing goes beyond functionality to assess the system’s technical strength. The aim is to ensure scalability, security, and business continuity.
Thorough performance and load testing are carried out. The team simulates peak transaction volumes and concurrent user loads to confirm response times meet business needs. The performance of system integrations under load is also checked.
Security experts perform penetration testing and vulnerability scans to find weaknesses in the ERP system and infrastructure. The disaster recovery plan is tested, confirming the system can be recovered within required timeframes.
Launch
Goals
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Deploy the final solution to production.
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Execute the technical cutover plan flawlessly.
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Perform post-deployment technical validation.
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Initiate production system monitoring.
Activities
The technical team follows the carefully planned cutover plan to launch the solution. This starts with the final setup and security hardening of the production infrastructure.
Using a detailed checklist, all technical components—code, configuration, integrations—are moved to the production environment.
Right after deployment, technical smoke tests are run. These ensure all systems and integrations are online and working correctly before handing the system over to the business. All system and performance monitoring tools are activated to track the health and stability of the live ERP.
Stabilize
Goals
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Optimize system performance and stability.
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Transition technical support to the operations team.
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Implement ongoing maintenance procedures.
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Resolve technical hypercare issues.
Activities
As the business starts using the system, the technical team focuses on maintaining a stable user experience. System health, database performance, and response times are monitored continuously, with adjustments made as needed.
The main technical project team stays involved to resolve any complex technical issues that arise during the stabilization period.
This phase, concludes with the formal handover of daily technical management to the permanent IT operations team. Standard operating procedures for regular system maintenance, such as patching and health checks, are set in place.
Grow
Goals
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Manage the long-term technology lifecycle.
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Ensure system scalability for business growth.
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Adopt and integrate new technological innovations.
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Evolve the enterprise architecture.
Activities
The technology platform is managed as a strategic asset that grows with the business. The IT team plans for, tests, and deploys regular software updates and major version upgrades from the vendor to stay current and secure.
Ongoing capacity planning ensures the infrastructure scales proactively. System usage and business forecasts are reviewed regularly to prevent future performance issues.
The enterprise architecture is updated continuously to include new applications or retire outdated systems, ensuring the ERP remains the integrated core. The team explores and tests new technologies, such as AI-driven automation or advanced analytics, to improve the ERP’s value.
