Leading Resolutions supported Leyland through a complex ERP transformation, combining change management, system upgrades and training to ensure long-term scalability and efficiency. The project demonstrates how a structured, people-focused approach can enable seamless adoption of new technology while supporting continued business growth
Leading Resolutions set Leyland up for continued future success with a change management solution that primed them for continued improvement. Leyland, one of London’s leading decorating and DIY retailers, engaged Leading Resolutions to manage the transformation of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) from impact assessments, legacy infrastructure upgrades and internal training.
Upgrading an ERP software system is an extraordinary undertaking, but whilst the process is not one to be undertaken without careful planning and consideration, its necessity marks an important growth milestone in a business. With growth comes more data to be managed and tracked: from sales and fulfilment transactions to employee information and projects.
Legacy technology often introduces a central issue in upgrading an ERP. Many companies use legacy systems alongside their ERP implementations, leading to integration challenges and the need for careful planning.
“A central part of this transformation was the role of change management”, said Jon Bance, COO, Leading Resolutions. “From carefully extricating and upgrading the existing system from legacy IT systems, to training teams on the new ERP. We intentionally used a vanilla technology approach to ensure that Leyland would be set up for future success, able to upgrade with ease next time the company required.”
“Upgrading our existing ERP was not just a software update; it has been a strategic investment in the future of the business,” said Richard Cross, IT Director at Leyland. “We put a lot of trust in Leading Resolutions as a partner to guide us through this period of growing pains. To be in a position where the technology not only works smoothly, but is also primed to scale, shows that we made the right partnership.”
The challenge
Leyland’s legacy ERP platform had reached end-of-life, hindering operational efficiency, data visibility and scalability. Manual workarounds, siloed data and limited integration with existing infrastructure were holding the business back. To support rapid growth, integrate finance, supply chain and operations, and lay the groundwork for future digital initiatives, Leyland needed a modern, unified ERP solution. However, the transformation risked disrupting day-to-day operations and required careful change management to ensure adoption across the business.
The approach
Leading Resolutions led the end-to-end transformation, starting with a comprehensive analysis of Leyland’s core systems and business needs. Working in partnership with business and IT SMEs from across the organisation, the team:
- Evaluated existing group systems for fitness and reusability.
- Built a robust business case to secure stakeholder buy-in.
- Co-created a detailed programme plan with the Leyland team and selected systems integrator, covering resources, timelines, spend, dependencies and risk comprising of 4 workstreams: Data, Business Change, Technology and Service Transition.
- Managed the programme lifecycle from planning and change management through to hyper care and business-as-usual through the creation and execution of a fit-for-purpose delivery methodology tailored to Leyland, combining industry standard best practice with pragmatic, experience-based know-how.
- Created and delivered a Business Change strategy to ensure the guiding principle of adopting a “vanilla” solution was achieved.
The outcome
The ERP transformation was successfully delivered with no operational disruption to the Leyland business. Key achievements included:
- Creation and implementation of a clear technology strategy, leveraging group solutions where appropriate.
- Delivery of a fully integrated ERP platform and point of sale estate, supporting finance, supply chain, retail and operations.
- Enhanced data accuracy and real-time reporting, facilitating better decision-making.
- Increased user adoption through targeted training and proactive change management.
- Implementation of a scalable technological foundation to underpin future digital initiatives and continued growth.
“Upgrading our ERP wasn’t just a technical project; it was a strategic investment in our future. Leading Resolutions brought the right blend of structure, empathy, and delivery focus to guide us through it,” said Richard Cross, IT Director, Leyland
