Introduction

We’re often asked how long it takes a business to migrate to Eplan, adopt the software into their daily workflows and whether it involves a lot of disruption.

The honest answer to these questions are that it really depends on where you're starting from and your companies requirements. However, you may find the transition much more streamlined and less disruptive than you initially expected, especially with the proactive support Eplan can offer.

Will we have to stop engineering projects during the deployment?

This is one of the most common questions we get asked, and it's worth addressing straight away: no, most teams won't have to stop work when you migrate to Eplan software.

Existing projects can continue in your current environment while new projects begin in Eplan. However, two systems aren’t recommended in the long term, as maintaining two systems introduces data inconsistencies, duplicated effort and inefficiencies in standardisation, all of which can dilute the full productivity and data integrity benefits that Eplan is designed to deliver once fully adopted.

Also, it’s worth noting that every business should move at a pace that suits their workload and team, giving you far more control over risk than a single switchover ever would. Subject to company size, the appointment of a Key user to control data creation and deployment is recommended.

So how long does migration to Eplan actually take?

For smaller or less complex businesses, the full process from initial setup through to working confidently on live projects typically takes one to two months.

Larger organisations with multiple sites or more complex requirements will take longer, but those implementations are deliberately phased to keep disruption within your business to a minimum throughout.

What most organisations find is that they don't have to wait until migration is complete before they start seeing value. Your teams should be working on real projects in Eplan within just a few weeks of starting, typically while the broader rollout is still underway around them.

How many training days will our engineers need?

The Eplan Training Academy offer various levels of training, ranging from self-paced eLearning courses to the Essential and Expert courses. These also include industry specific courses for industries, such as energy, to make sure the training you receive is more aligned to your requirements.

We recommend the Electrical Design Expert course for all Electric P8 users to kick-start their experience with the software and lay a great foundation for efficient engineering. The training starts with an Essential section that lasts five days, followed by an additional three days to build upon the basic knowledge and take the learnings to the next level.

But no engineer’s training should stop after learning the basics, an ongoing training plan and/or a certification, such as the Eplan Certified Engineer, will ensure that designers get the most value from the software, and prevent ‘old habits’ from creeping back into designs.

 Which is the quickest route to implementation? 

We have created structured migration and training programmes that are designed around you to optimise implementation times and support business continuity.

This can be self-guided, partially managed or fully managed, allowing you to transition at a pace that suits your business while maintaining ongoing project work.

Self-guided implementation simply involves downloading the software without the overheads of a structured programme. If you require a simple setups with minimal data migration requirements, then self-guided adoption can work well.

More often, though, this runs into the same problem around your day-to-day workload. Your key engineers will get pulled onto customer projects, and progress slows. In a short space of time, what appeared to be a quick, lean implementation, can become an inconsistent rollout that drags on far longer than could have been achieved with a more structured approach.

Our guided implementation programme tends to move faster, precisely because the planning, setup and configuration are handled by consultants with years of experience and knowledge in handling such tailored projects. Leaving your internal, leaving your internal team free to focus on delivery.

What Onboarding Options Are Available?

There are four routes, each designed for a different starting point and level of complexity.

1. At the self-directed end, Digital Onboarding offers a flexible, self-paced route using eLearning and standard templates. It's the right fit for straightforward environments where your team has the capacity and confidence to work through it independently.
2. Basic Onboarding teams you up with an Eplan specialist who guides your installation, configuration and your first steps in the software. The eight-day classroom training for Eplan users is followed by a dedicated day to implement the software. The overall process is usually completed within one to two months.
3. Extended Onboarding is a more intensive option, where a dedicated Eplan consultant supports you from initial setup right through to your first live project. As well as eight days of classroom training and one day of software implementation, it includes two days of configuration and three days of first-project support. Making this the right choice for businesses that want to reach full productivity faster and with less internal effort.
4. For larger or multi-site organisations, our Enterprise Adoption and Migration Programme takes a structured, project-based approach and covers planning, custom configuration and targeted training delivered either on-site or remotely. Timelines here are aligned to the complexity of your environment.

When should we start seeing the benefits?

You should see benefits of Eplan sooner than most people expect.

Our onboarding programmes are designed to deliver early productivity and efficiency gains, often within the first few weeks. Meanwhile, any broader implementation work continues across the business.

Choosing the right onboarding route obviously makes a significant difference to how quickly that happens. But all of our programmes aim to get your team up to speed as quickly as possible, without compromising the work you're already delivering to your customers.

For more information about integrating Eplan into your business of to find out about Eplan's onboarding programmes please Contact the team or download the free guide below.

FAQ

How difficult is it to migrate from another ECAD software platform to Eplan?