You’ve decided the time is right to invest in cannabis industry software and now have to select an appropriate solution. Selecting the right cannabis solution is a vital step for a growing cannabusiness, but the work isn’t done once the selection is made.

Cannabis accounting ERP systems are designed to improve the various processes that make up your cannabusiness, but without proper controls in place during implementation, they may not provide all the benefits to your operation that they could.

Cannabis organizations with a solid game plan for implementing their new cloud-based system improve their chances for a successful project. Here are a few steps to make integration easier and ensure that you get the most out of your cannabis ERP implementation.

Select the right cannabis software vendor

Your software vendor is your partner in getting what you need from this technology upgrade, so make your decision only after thoroughly vetting your vendor options. It’s important to work with an established vendor who understands your specific needs and how to address them.

Throughout the process, your software vendor will make suggestions based on your organization’s goals, the various options available and how other cannabusinesses use technology to improve their operation.

You’ll want to make sure the vendor has a demonstrable record of success within the cannabis industry and understands the space well enough to help you troubleshoot any issues you have regarding technology integrations, logistical concerns, or compliance matters.

Build value for all personnel

Implementing ERP is an involved process so it is important that everybody within the ranks of the company be on board with the idea. User adoption of your new ERP systems starts at the top, so encourage management to lead by example.

Resistance to new systems and processes are inevitable can be challenging, so make sure you build the value of the new ERP system in the hearts and minds of your team. Be sure your staff understands how the new system will improve their day-to-day work and offer ample training for anyone uncertain of the new way of doing business.

Communicating cannabis ERP benefits before rolling it out is critical to employee adoption. Get leadership involved, engaged leadership is added encouragement for employees to get on board and sends a message regarding the importance that employees follow suit.

Know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it

By this time you’ve analyzed your business processes, what processes are you trying to improve? Build a full understanding of what the ERP needs to accomplish and how it will drive at those goals.

Additionally, determine in advance what successful implementation of the ERP will look like within your organization so you can then evaluate how well implementation has unfolded. What processes can you automate? What processes require manual attention? What are your scaling plans? Are you keeping an eye on compliance?

Include perspectives from across your cannabis operation when defining organizational goals and evaluating ERP options. These are the individuals using the new system who will be most benefited by it.

Determine who is working on the implementation

Create a team to oversee and execute the implementing an ERP. Your team should consist of an internal project team with a designated project manager. Your project manager will create your cannabis ERP implementation plan detailing each step of the project.

An effective project team will bring a range of skill sets with them having at least one common skill required from everyone: effective communication. Detailed documentation should be made available to every individual involved in the project will help you adhere to project objectives to avoid scope creep.

What are your KPIs?

Now all your data will be collected and made readily-accessible, so reporting processes can be simplified and automated. In addition to qualitative success metrics for your new cannabis cloud ERP, you need to make sure you have your quantitative KPIs for the ERP sorted out in advance.

You’ve established by now what you want the ERP to accomplish, but how will you quantitatively measure its success at addressing those goals? With ready access to reliable reporting, leadership can make better organizational decisions and determine the best business practices based upon user-defined KPIs.

Changing the way one does business is always tough, and implementing a cannabis ERP will disrupt business-as-usual. Once you’ve delivered on the business objectives identified in your project scope, you’ve arrived at ERP implementation success. Addressing each of these considerations will make implementing your new ERP considerably easier and get you up and running as quickly as possible.