This should not really be a question, but we will answer it anyway, once and for all. Planning is not optional. You might think that you have a small and straightforward implementation, and to save time and money you should just get the software installed and start using it. There may be some software for which this approach works. This will not work for Dynamics GP. In the long run, you will spend more time and money fixing things if you do not plan your implementation.
Planning does not have to be a scary prospect, or something that takes an inordinate amount of time and produces a 200 page document. There is a fine line between not enough planning and over planning. For a typical implementation in a small to mid-size business, planning out every detailed step of an implementation is not warranted. Planning should be done for key steps, dates, and deliverables.
Many companies find that planning to implement a new ERP system can provide an unexpected...