Phase 01 of 08
Discovery & design
Typically 5-10% of total project cost. Requirements gathering, process mapping, gap analysis, solution design, vendor / SI selection. Usually 4-12 weeks before any software is touched.
What's included
- Current-state process maps
- Future-state design document
- Gap-fit analysis vs the chosen ERP
- Solution architecture document
- Implementation roadmap & phased deployment plan
- Final RFP / SOW finalisation
Common overruns
- Scope creep when new stakeholder requirements surface late in discovery
- Re-scope when a 'quick win' module turns into a foundational rewrite
- Multiple discovery cycles when initial findings invalidate the original RFP
Basis
Digital Signet allocation model. No ERP survey publishes phase-by-phase splits; this band is our own synthesis of how project budgets typically distribute.
Reviewed 2026-09-04
Other phases