How to Maintain Momentum and Motivation During ERP Implementation: 5 Small Wins That Help You Move Forward

Implementing a comprehensive ERP system can be compared to remodeling a kitchen. At the beginning, there is excitement, beautiful visualizations, and big plans. After a week, you find yourself eating from plastic plates, there’s dust even where you wouldn’t expect it, and the household members start getting nervous. But you endure it because you have a vision, and eventually, the moment comes when the project is completed. Suddenly, cooking is faster, easier, and you finally feel in the kitchen the way you always wanted. Meals prepared in such a kitchen are incomparably better, and the word about your cooking skills spreads far and wide.

We may have exaggerated a bit, but we want to demonstrate this as an example of what ERP implementation looks like. At first, you are on edge, but those who persevere until the end gain an irreplaceable helper that improves all company processes.

Implementing a complex system is a complex task and takes even longer than remodeling a kitchen.

So how to endure and not stop?

Simply – with small but meaningful steps that show the team the project is progressing. In English, these are called quick wins – small victories that keep the momentum going even when big changes are not yet finished.

Here are 5 examples of such "small wins" that can significantly help with an ERP project:

1. Start with a simple report before the system goes live

You don’t need to wait until everything is finished. If you already have cleaned data, you can create a simple overview from it. For example, about inventory, sales, or customers.

Even if it’s just a temporary solution, the team will see that the project work delivers real results. At the same time, you will verify whether you have quality data and how well people can work with it.

2. Simplify one annoying process everyone knows

Every company has some really “annoying” process that everyone hates. For example, complicated attendance approvals, which can otherwise be perfectly solved by QASIDA Mobile, or manual receipt entry (better use our QASIDA OCR app and get them into the system within seconds).

Try to pick one such process and adjust it to be simpler – even before full automation.

For example:

• introduce simple approval forms,
• set up quick expense approvals via email,
• or something else 😊 

Users will immediately see the difference and you’ll gain their trust.

3. Test user permissions in one department

ERP systems often include various roles and permissions—who can see, change, or approve what. Leaving this to the last minute causes chaos.

We recommend:

• selecting one department (e.g., finance),
• testing access settings on it,
• and gathering feedback.

This will help you fine-tune system security and at the same time cultivate internal “change ambassadors” who will later assist others.

4. Try training on one simple process in advance

You don’t have to wait for the entire system to be ready. Just pick one common task, like entering a new supplier, and train a small group of users on it.

Then observe:

• whether they remember the information,
• what questions they had,
• what would help them understand the system better.

Such training doesn’t need to take much time, and you’ll use these insights in the final training of all employees. At the same time, you show that things are moving and you care about keeping everyone informed.

5. Use the new system for a real management decision

If you are setting up the ERP system, for example, for production, use it right away for something concrete—such as deciding which products to keep in the portfolio or how to set prices.

It doesn’t have to be perfect; it’s enough if you demonstrate a simulation in the test environment and help management make better decisions.

The result? Managers suddenly stop seeing ERP as a “necessary evil” and start seeing it as a tool that already brings value.

How to make the most of small wins?

Not every quick improvement is truly beneficial. For a win to matter, it needs to:

• be linked to real process improvements,
• support behavior change (not just “for show”),
• be compatible with what will work after going live,
• and most importantly: be presented as a temporary experiment/testing, not a final solution.

It’s also important that these wins are communicated—especially among management. When your leaders see results, they will support the project more and motivate others.

Why is it worth focusing on these “small” wins?

Imagine rolling out a new company system as a triathlon. It’s a combination of several disciplines you need to master gradually and persistently. If the team doesn’t see at least small successes in the early phases, motivation and energy will quickly fade. That’s why it’s important to find opportunities for early, simple wins that:

• show the project is progressing,
• verify important assumptions,
• engage people,
• keep leadership actively involved.

If you feel your project is stalling, maybe all it takes is a small step in the right direction. And at Asseco Solutions, we can help you with that.

Do you want to implement a comprehensive system in your company? Are you wondering how to choose the right ERP system? Or do you just need advice before making a decision? Contact us at info@assecosol.com or fill out the "I am interested" form. We are confident you won’t regret it.