When a new system is being set up, everyone is in a hurry; they want to start using it as soon as possible. Basic settings are skipped quickly and the focus shifts to the actual work.
Months later, however, those skipped settings come back one by one as problems. Document numbers get mixed up, reports cannot be retrieved at the desired breakdown, and corrections affect historical data.
In this article, we explained step by step which settings should be made and in what order during the initial setup.
Table of Contents
Why does the order matter?
Setup steps are interconnected, and proceeding in the wrong order requires backtracking.
Unit and category definitions must be ready before creating product cards. Otherwise, a definition has to be created for every single card opened, and the list becomes disorganized.
Similarly, stock entries cannot be made without defining a warehouse; the movement needs a destination.
Also, some settings cannot be changed later; document series and basic units fall into this group.
Therefore, reviewing all steps before starting the setup saves time.
Step 1: Company information
The first step of the setup is to enter the official information of the company completely.
The title, tax office, and tax number must be completely accurate as they will appear on documents.
Address and contact information are also used in document templates and must be kept up to date.
The logo and visual identity should also be uploaded at this stage; documents looking corporate determines the first impression.
If there are multiple companies, all of them must be defined at this stage; multi-company structure article.
Step 2: Organization structure
The second step is the establishment of the branch and warehouse structure. This structure is the foundation upon which all movements will rest.
The structure should be designed not for the current scale, but for the foreseeable future. Levels added later do not cover past data.
Warehouse types should also be determined at this stage; separating the main warehouse, sales floor, and quarantine is difficult to establish later.
Department definitions must also be made; authorization and expense tracking rely on this structure.
We covered the details in the company branch warehouse structure article.
Step 3: Basic definitions
In the third step, the basic definitions upon which product and current account cards are based are created.
Units, categories, and brands must be ready at this stage. Creating definitions while opening cards is the primary reason that clutters lists.
Current account groups and price lists are also defined in this step.
Cost centers and, if any, the project structure should also be set up here.
We explained the definition logic in the unit brand model definitions article.
Step 4: Numbering
Document numbering is one of the hardest settings to change later and must be established with care.
A separate series should be defined for each document type; orders, waybills, and invoices must not get mixed up.
Branch-based series separation should also be considered; the branch from which it was issued should be understandable from the number.
Invoice series are subject to financial legislation and must be determined together with your financial advisor.
The number length must also be chosen realistically; a series that fills up will cause problems mid-period.
Step 5: Users and permissions
In the fifth step, users are created and assigned to roles.
Role templates must be defined first; creating roles while opening users creates inconsistency.
Each user must be given their own account; shared accounts completely eliminate traceability.
Branch and warehouse scopes must also be defined and tested at this stage.
We covered the setup in the user permissions article.
Step 6: Data migration
The sixth step is transferring existing data to the system and is the phase that requires the most effort.
Cleaning before migration is essential; dirty data remains dirty in the new system and causes a loss of trust from the start.
Dead records should not be migrated; cards that have not seen movement for a long time can be left in the archive.
Opening stocks and balances are also entered at this stage and must be verified.
We explained the migration method in the file integration article.
Step 7: E-document preparation
The e-document side is the step of the installation that causes the most waiting and should be started early.
Choosing an integrator and making the necessary applications takes time; this process should be carried out in parallel with other steps.
Preparing document templates is also a separate task; the corporate identity is determined at this stage.
Test documents should be sent to verify that the flow works; the first invoice attempt should not be made in the live environment.
We discussed the preparation checklist in the e-document transition checklist article.
Step 8: Testing and validation
The final step is to perform end-to-end testing, and this step should never be skipped.
Create an order and convert it into a dispatch note and an invoice; it must be verified that the document chain works.
Verify via the statement that the stock movement has been deducted from the correct warehouse.
Record a collection and check that the current account balance changes as expected.
Log in with different roles and confirm that each user sees the correct data.
Points to consider
Leaving the setup to a single person leads to loss of knowledge when that person leaves; decisions must be documented.
Activating all modules at the same time also increases risk; a phased transition is healthier.
Skipping data cleansing undermines trust in the new system from day one.
Neglecting the training step renders even the best-designed system unusable.
Keeping setup decisions in writing becomes the most frequently consulted resource in later periods.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the setup take?
It varies depending on the scope; the real time is spent not on the technical setup, but on data cleansing and habit building.
Which module should one start with?
It is recommended to start with the area causing the most pain; check out the article on which module to start with.
Can settings be changed later?
Most can be changed; however, settings such as document series and basic units are practically fixed because they affect past data.
Can data be imported from the current system?
Yes, it can be imported; it is structured via file transfer or synchronization, and we determine the scope together.
Initial setup is the phase where decisions are made that are done once and live for years. The time spent here costs much less than corrections made later.
Proceed through the steps in order; opening cards before basic definitions are ready scrambles the lists from the beginning.
Start your e-document preparation early as well; application processes require waiting and can stall the setup.
Do not skip data cleaning; a system starting with dirty data loses trust from day one.
Keep installation decisions in writing too; six months later, that document becomes the most referenced source.
By consulting with the EQLEM team, you can create your installation plan.