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How long does ERP implementation take? Timeline and the best time to start
[UPDATED: 13/11/2025] If you’re thinking about upgrading your current business management software or investing in an ERP system for the first time, it can feel like there are a lot of unknowns from the outset.
You’re probably asking yourself questions like:
- How long will it take to implement a new business management software or ERP system?
- When is the best time to implement it?
- How much time will we need to allocate for a successful deployment?
These are sensible questions to ask early, because unrealistic expectations around time are one of the biggest causes of stress in an ERP project.
Drawing on over 30 years of implementing new software across many different sectors, this article looks specifically at how long an ERP implementation typically takes and what you should factor into your timelines.
If you’re mapping your ERP implementation timeline, the guidance below will help you plan each phase from selection to Hypercare.
How long does it take?
“How long is a piece of string?” is a dreadful analogy, but unfortunately it’s not far off the truth when it comes to implementing a new ERP system.
For the sake of an example, let’s imagine you’re a 10-user business replacing an outdated system with a Tier 2 ERP solution. By Tier 2, I mean a system designed for growing, multi-department or multi-site businesses: more powerful and configurable than entry-level (Tier 3) software, but not on the scale or complexity of the very largest enterprise (Tier 1) platforms.
In this scenario, you should allow 6–12 months from signed order (with deposit) to go-live. For most 10-user teams, that’s a realistic ERP implementation timeline.
To achieve this kind of timeline, both you and your ERP partner need to have the right people available when they’re needed, and you’ll need a clear, agreed project scope from the outset, which you’ll work with your provider to establish.
On top of that, you should allow for a 12-week ERP Hypercare period after go-live to tidy up loose ends and bed in the system - all included in your original project price - covering configuration tweaks, extra training and guided support through key milestones like month end, tax return, stock take and year-end close. (For GenetiQ Flex or Designs projects, Hypercare is included in the original project price; it can be extended if required.)
And remember, evaluating and choosing a new system often takes several months before any of this starts, so it’s important to build that selection time into your overall project timeline from the very beginning.
When is the best time to do it?
There’s no perfect time to take on a project like this, but your choice of timing does have a big impact on how smoothly it runs.
We’re often asked whether it’s best to go live at financial year end or month end. In reality, each option has pros and cons.
- Why we don’t usually recommend financial year end
On paper, year-end sounds ideal: a clean break in your accounts and neat reporting. In practice, it creates a hard, immovable deadline at a time when your finance team is already under pressure. Because it’s difficult to predict every bump in the road, tying go-live to year-end can reduce your flexibility just when you need it most.
- Why we generally recommend month end
For most businesses, month end is a very good option. It gives you a clear starting point, tidy reporting and a clean cut-over from old to new. Where it’s practical, we’ll usually recommend planning your go-live around a month end.
“Going live on any new software is always going to cause some disruption… we went live with stock, but we didn’t go live with accounts until two weeks later… we made sure the day-to-day functionality was working before we then moved forward to bring in accounts.” - Stuart Newman, Managing Director, Setra Wood Products.
- You can go live mid-month
That said, month end doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. You can implement at another point in the month if you’re prepared to run two systems for a short period and reconcile between them until you’re fully on the new system. The key is understanding what this means in practice and planning for it.
- The real deciding factor: people
The single most important factor in choosing a go-live date is whether your key people have the time and capacity to implement it properly. Your project team needs space for data preparation, testing, training and go-live support. If they’re trying to do all of that in the middle of a peak trading period or while juggling other major projects, everything becomes harder.
In simple terms, aim for a month-end go-live where you can - but prioritise a time when your key people can be freed up to focus, even if that means going live mid-month, rather than chasing a “perfect” date that leaves no room for the unexpected.
How much of your time will it take?
When you’re thinking about how long an ERP project will take, it’s important to consider your time, not just the project dates on a plan.
There are three broad phases where your time will be needed:
1. Before you choose a system
You’ll need to: - Research what’s available in the market
- Set clear objectives and decide what “good” looks like for your business
- Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves
- Involve key stakeholders so expectations are aligned
This early work often takes longer than people expect and should be built into your overall timeline. For a step-by-step plan, our ERP implementation guide shares practical timelines, roles, and checklists to take you from selection to go-live with confidence.
2. Once you’ve placed an order
After you sign, your role changes to one of collaboration with your provider. From this point on, you’re working together to turn the plan into a working system. You and your team will typically be involved in things like:
- Data preparation and data cleansing
- Reviewing and signing off forms and reports
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- “Train the trainer” or key-user training
- Regular project meetings and decision-making
- Process and strategy refinement as you learn more about what the system can do
3. Planning your internal roles
To make this manageable, it helps to nominate an internal project lead, a system owner or system administrator as such, and clearly define who else needs to be involved and when. As part of our approach, we provide a list of the key roles we’ll need on your side and the responsibilities that go with them, so you can plan people’s time and avoid overloading the same individuals.
“Our initial close work with our Intact consultant really helped us to understand our business needs better… we involved all our staff in testing which meant a smooth transition and minimal changes afterwards.”Sam Herd, IT Manager, Specialist Tiling Supplies"
How long until your team feels comfortable using the new system?
From a timing point of view, it helps to separate:
- the time it takes to get the system live, and
- the time it takes for people to feel confident using it day to day.
In the first few days after go-live, your team will naturally be finding their way around the new system. With structured training and support, most users start to feel reasonably comfortable within a few weeks, and confidence continues to build over the 12-week Hypercare period.
Along the way, we run a number of project checkpoints to make sure everything is on track – not just technically, but in terms of people and processes too. If training in parts of the business hasn’t happened as planned, that will be flagged, and we’ll work with you to get those users back on track before key milestones.
On supported subscription tiers of GenetiQ, in-line help and on-screen guidance can also make a difference, giving users prompts and explanations in the flow of work and reducing the number of basic “how do I…?” questions in the early days.
In the end, every stage of ERP implementation – from choosing a system to go-live and Hypercare – takes time and focus. The more space you can give the project, and the more actively you and your team stay involved, the more successful your deployment is likely to be.
ERP implementation: questions we’re often asked
Can you implement ERP faster than 6–12 months?
Yes. While a typical 10-user, Tier 2–style GenetiQ project can take 6–12 months, a more out-of-the-box GenetiQ subscription tier can usually be implemented in up to 12 weeks, and Xline can often go live in around six weeks for suitable businesses. At the other end of the scale, very bespoke, complex solutions may need longer than 12 months to get right.
What support do we get after go-live?
Whichever solution you choose, you’ll have access to our support team, online hubs, tutorials and other self-service resources after go-live. For GenetiQ Flex or Designs projects, we also offer a structured Hypercare period as described above, and this can be extended where needed for an additional fee.
How do we know which Intact solution and timeline are right for us?
It depends on how your business operates today, where you want it to go, and how quickly you need to get there. We’ll look at your growth plans, complexity and budget with you, then recommend which GenetiQ subscription tier best suits you - from an out-of-the-box solution to a fully customised enterprise setup - or whether Xline is the better fit, along with a realistic implementation timeframe.
Fiona McGuinness
I write for business owners and teams who want practical answers to everyday challenges. By interviewing our sales team and customer-facing colleagues, I share the insights already helping our customers succeed - turning them into blogs, guides, and stories you can benefit from too. After 17 years at Intact, I’ve learned the most valuable content cuts through the buzzwords and delivers clear solutions that make a real difference.