Implementation tip #1: Spring cleaning your system during an implementation

Typically when you hear the words "Spring cleaning" you think of all the things around the house that need to be cleaned. Whether it's cleaning the garage, switching out winter clothes with summer clothes, deep cleaning, or in my case fire mitigation it's typically something we all dread. Look at the photo below, when we first moved into our mountain home we couldn't see through the first line of trees. There were hundreds of smaller trees and bushes that made it almost impossible to even walk through. Throughout the last three years we've been able to pull them all out and now this is the view I have.

By now you're asking yourself, why is she even telling us this? Here's why. Spring cleaning isn't fun and motivating yourself can be pretty hard, but once you finish a task you feel pretty good not only with the outcome but with yourself.

So what does this have to do with your system you may be wondering? I've lead many implementations throughout the years and one of the things I can't say enough is to take the time to clean up your data or master records before importing them into your new system. It really amazes me how many times I hear "lets just bring everything in and we can clean it up later" or "we can merge vendors and customers in the new system right?" My response is always the same, how about you take the time to scrub your data (Spring clean) prior to me importing it into your new ERP system. I know it's hard work and not enjoyable but trust me when I say the more you can clean up during an implementation the more you will love your new system when you go-live.