ERP support after go live: models, contracts and how to get it right

The three layers of ERP support

Support models

• Partner managed: a support contract with your implementation partner or a specialist, usually a block of days or a monthly retainer with service levels.
• In house: an internal team of system administrators and analysts, often backed by a partner for specialist skills.
• Hybrid: internal first line support and super users, with a partner for second and third line.

The first months after go live

Expect a period of hypercare with heightened support, daily triage and fast fixes, followed by a planned handover to business as usual support. Set the exit criteria for hypercare in advance, such as a stable month end close, falling ticket volumes and no critical defects outstanding.

What to put in the support contract

• Service levels by priority, with response and resolution targets.
• What counts as support and what counts as change, and how change is priced.
• Named people and the skills available, including integrations and reporting.
• Monthly reporting on tickets, trends and root causes.
• Responsibility for testing and applying vendor updates.
• Knowledge transfer and exit terms if you change provider.

Signs your ERP support is not working

• The same issues keep coming back.
• Users have rebuilt spreadsheets around the system.
• Every small change becomes an expensive change request.
• Nobody owns master data.
• Vendor updates are delayed because nobody has time to test them.

Getting value after go live

Agree a benefits plan with named owners, review it every quarter and fund a small backlog of improvements. Much of an ERP system’s value arrives after go live, through better use of the system rather than more customisation.

Related reading: what is hypercare, why ERP implementations fail, ERP programme recovery, what is UAT.

Common questions

What is ERP support?

The services that keep an ERP system working and improving after go live: vendor support for the software, application support for users and changes, and business ownership of processes and data.

Should ERP support be in house or outsourced?

Most mid sized organisations use a hybrid: internal super users and first line support, with a partner for specialist second and third line support.

How long should hypercare last?

Often several weeks to a few months, ending when agreed criteria are met, such as a stable month end close and falling ticket volumes.

What should an ERP support contract include?

Service levels by priority, a clear line between support and change, named skills, monthly reporting on trends, responsibility for vendor updates and exit terms.

If your ERP is live but not delivering, we can review support, ownership and the backlog, and set out a plan to get the benefits back on track.

Book a confidential conversation