Before you start managing your company operations in ERPNext, you must first become familiar with the system and the terms used. For this, we recommend the two-phase implementation strategy. A Test Phase, where you enter dummy records representing your day-to-day transactions, and a Live Phase, where you start entering the live data.

1. Test Phase

• Read the Manual.
• Create a trial instance on erpnext.com.
• Create Customer Group, Item Group, Warehouse, Supplier Group records.
• Create a few Customer, Supplier and Item records.
• Complete a standard sales cycle: Lead > Opportunity > Quotation > Sales Order > Delivery Note > Sales Invoice > Payment Entry.
• Complete a standard purchase cycle: Material Request > Purchase Order > Purchase Receipt > Purchase Invoice > Payment Entry.
• If applicable complete a manufacturing cycle: BOM > Production Plan > Work Order > Stock Entry
• Create Custom DocType, Custom Field, Print Format.
• Replicate a real life scenario into the system.

2. Live Phase

Once you are familiar with ERPNext, set it up and start entering your live data!

• Sign up for a new instance at https://erpnext.com. Alternatively, you can just delete the transactions but keep the master data in the instance you have already created.
• Import the master data like customers, suppliers, items via Data Import Tool.
• Review the module-wise settings like Selling Settings, Buying Settings, Stock Settings.
• Import opening stock using Stock Reconciliation.
• Import outstanding invoices using Opening Invoice Creation Tool
• Import opening balance.
• Go-live!