Implementing any new ERP system is no small task. As you probably know, Deltek Costpoint is a complex system. Complex doesn’t have to mean complicated. No need to stress. This is where a strong implementation partner and a strong internal implementation team play an important role. What drives the success of an implementation? Detailed planning, effective communication, training, hands-on testing, data reconciliations, and a commitment by company personnel to see the project through every “first” after go-live.
An implementation can feel both exciting and overwhelming simultaneously. Each phase of an implementation can bring its own challenges and opportunities. In this article, we will dive deeper into the areas that can make or break an implementation.
Planning for Your Deltek Costpoint Implementation
Planning is key at every stage of an implementation, but before it even starts, it is probably the most important time to plan. A company’s implementation partner should provide comprehensive plans for timing, implementation phases, and expectations. Their project plan should cover the expected steps, not just the design and configuration of the system, but also how and when testing and training will be completed. However, a company should also undertake important planning that will have a significant impact on implementation.
First, management needs to plan and establish the members of their internal implementation team. This may seem obvious at first, but the individuals involved are extremely important. Personnel heavily involved in implementation need several key traits.
- Multiple Areas - The implementation team should include members from multiple areas within the company. ERPs such as Deltek Costpoint are more than accounting systems. They include procurement, project management, human resources, and other key functions. Individuals from all these areas within the company need to be represented during different phases of successful implementations.
- Area Knowledge - These individuals need sufficient knowledge of the area they represent. This doesn’t mean they necessarily have to be the expert, but it does mean they need to have a good grasp of how things currently work and be able to share the wants and needs of the area they are representing.
- Communication/Training Skills – They need to know their area, be able to effectively communicate the decisions made and the new processes that will be used to the rest of the personnel in their area and eventually train coworkers.
Second, management needs to think about and plan for the additional time requirements associated with an implementation project. Team members will need to be able to dedicate time to implementation activities, including regular meetings, testing phases, and, finally, both receiving and providing training. This may mean an honest review of the current workload of implementation team members, planning some work redistribution, or addressing the fact that these individuals will be spending hours above and beyond their normal workload. Planning for the right people with these qualities can have a profound impact on the implementation's success. Still, a realistic view of the additional work associated with the project is imperative.
Just like any project, planning is important, and for an implementation, there needs to be more planning than your implementation partner provides. Internal planning within the company for the right team and time requirements will help ensure an implementation goes smoothly.
Effective Communication During Implementation
Communication throughout an implementation is critical, but effective communication at the start can set an implementation on the right track. Implementation partners should clearly communicate implementation plans and information requests and hold regular design and configuration discussions with company personnel. They should also provide clear testing, training, and “go live” plans, plus provide “best practices” associated with the new system. But, as with planning, a company needs to ensure key communication is happening.
Company management needs to define and communicate the overall implementation objectives to both company personnel and the external implementation partner. This may seem like an obvious answer. “Implement a new system.” However, that answer is in fact quite vague.
- Why is the new system needed?
- Does the company need to ensure it can pass an accounting system audit?
- Does the current system not support the required allocation structure?
- Are project managers unable to adequately track project costs in the current system?
Change is never easy, and resistance can be high, especially if personnel do not understand the reason. Management providing a clear answer to why the new system is being implemented can ensure the project is pointed in the right direction from the start.
Along those same lines, it is important for company management to clearly communicate and support the implementation's priority. Management must stay visible and actively engaged. This helps ensure the company personnel are available for meetings, system design and configuration, homework, training, and testing. It also ensures management can effectively identify when work re-distribution is required. Normal work activities will be interrupted. This cannot be avoided. But with proper internal communication and with the implementation partner, these tasks can be built into the schedule to avoid major disruptions to both the implementation and day-to-day operations.
During implementation, it is imperative that team members clearly communicate the company's needs and wants in their area. This doesn’t just mean what new processes or improvements they want in an area, but also the processes that work well in the current system, that need to be duplicated in the new system. Often, implementations focus solely on “the new,” and processes that were working well suddenly become problematic. Clear communication of the good and bad of the current system can help ensure that the final setup of the new system is the best combination of old and new processes.
Communication is essential from the beginning to the end of an implementation. From the beginning, when goals and objectives are shared, to the middle of the project, when priorities are confirmed and questions are asked, and all the way to “go live” and beyond, when developed processes and procedures are followed, communication is vital. Everyone, from management and team members to implementation partners, should be constantly asking questions, addressing issues and providing feedback. Clear communication ensures everyone is working from the same plan and moving towards the same goal.
Additional Factors for Implementation Success
Training as a Core Part of Implementation Success
This cannot be stated enough: training is not optional, it is vital! A new system can be implemented perfectly and can have all the bells and whistles, but if no one knows how to use it, it is useless. Additionally, if users only know the bare minimum of how a system works, it can be very easy to get things in a mess while trying to learn and figure out the rest of the system. Training should be an integral and imperative part of any implementation plan. Investing time and money during implementation to ensure the company’s personnel know how to use the new system can save the company from indescribable frustration and substantially more money in the long run.
Preparing and Migrating Data for Deltek Costpoint
Unless a company is just starting, data will need to be migrated to the new system during an implementation. Getting your data as “clean” and reconciled as possible before it goes into that new system will save a great deal of time and money. This may not always be the case, but companies should be prepared to move project inception-to-date revenue and cost, project inception-to-date billing information, and general ledger beginning balance sheet information. If the data in the current system were perfect, a company probably would not be moving to a new system. Preparing clean, reconciled data and verifying balances before migration is always preferable. This will make reconciling what goes into the new system much easier and cleaner.
Preparing for Go Live and Beyond
Too often, “go live” is seen as the end of an implementation project, but it is just the 85% mark. Preparing everyone involved to finish that last 15% and not view “go live” as the finish line is important. After “go live,” there is a long list of “firsts.” The first time the timesheets are processed in the new system. The first-time vendor payments are produced out of the new system. The first purchase order was created. The first new employee entered. The list goes on and on. The end of an implementation is when all the “firsts” are complete, usually when the first month-end is complete and the financials from the new system are ready. Encouraging everyone to focus on finishing the “firsts” is a good way to ensure people are not just focused on “go live,” as there is still work to be done.
Bringing It All Together for Implementation Success
Successful implementations depend on careful planning, clear communication, and collaboration between your internal team and your implementation partner. When everyone understands expectations and works toward the same objectives, the process becomes smoother and more effective. Many challenges that arise during implementation can be prevented by maintaining alignment and ensuring that each phase is managed with attention to detail. A well-executed implementation does more than launch a system. It builds a foundation for operational efficiency, compliance, and continued growth. Redstone GCI supports companies throughout every stage of a Deltek Costpoint implementation, providing hands-on guidance in planning, configuration, data migration, training, and post–go-live support. With extensive experience in government contracting and comprehensive knowledge of Costpoint, our consultants help ensure your system is implemented correctly and positioned to deliver long-term success.
