Onboarding in Less Than a Week: How SPARROW Delivers a Fast, Human-Led Start

In the world of enterprise software, we’ve been conditioned to expect the "Long Wait." Whether it’s a new CRM or a legacy ERP migration, the story is usually the same: months of consulting fees, heavy IT involvement, and a "go-live" date that feels like a moving target. By the time the software is actually ready, the original business problem has often evolved.

When Jens Schubert, our Head of Customer Success, sits down with new SPARROW clients, he often sees this "implementation trauma" in their eyes. They expect a marathon. Instead, we give them a sprint.

"For us, onboarding isn't a technical configuration phase,"

says Jens, who has spent five years leading implementations across complex manufacturing landscapes.

"It’s the journey from signing the contract to the moment a customer can actually make a decision based on their own data. With SPARROW, that journey can take less than a week."

No Consultants, No Complexity, Just an Internet Connection

One of the most surprising aspects of SPARROW is how little is actually required to get started. In an industry known for complex infrastructure prerequisites, we’ve kept the barriers intentionally low.

"To get started with SPARROW, you really only need two things: spare parts and an internet connection,"

Jens says.

Because the platform is designed to be lightweight, you don't need to hire external IT consultants at extra costs for onboarding or future adjustments. This simplicity allows us to partner with a vast range of customers, from global enterprises with dedicated digitalisation teams to family-run businesses where the maintenance manager wears many hats. Whether you are an IT specialist or a maintenance lead, the tool is built to be accessible and intuitive regardless of your technical background.

The Parallel Path: Why Wait for Integration?

A common misconception in B2B SaaS is that you have to choose between a quick "standalone" start and a robust ERP integration. At SPARROW, we’ve proven that you can have both.

Jens explains our "Parallel Path" approach:

"We always aim for a full ERP integration because that’s where the long-term automation lives. But we don't wait for the developers to finish the bridge before we start crossing the river."

While the technical integration is being prepared, we perform a static data load. This allows teams to start using SPARROW.Clean and SPARROW.Plan almost immediately.

• Track 1 (Immediate Value): We take your material master data, typically in a simple tabular format like Excel or CSV, and get it into the system within days.
• Track 2 (Scalable integration): Our developers work with your IT team to build the automated ERP sync in the background. This is especially relevant for SPARROW.Plan and SPARROW.Stock.

The result? You see cleaning and optimisation results in the first week, while the "heavy lifting" of IT integration happens without stalling your ROI.

More Than a Software Vendor: A True Partnership

The secret to this speed isn't just the code; it’s the human support. Every SPARROW customer is paired with a dedicated Customer Success Manager. There is no "support ticket" void; there is a partner who knows your data as well as you do.

This partnership begins with a Kickoff Workshop, but it’s not what you might expect. Jens explains:

"The kickoff isn't us presenting how we work. It’s us learning how the customer wants to work. With our spare parts management expertise, we dive into their specific spare parts processes and objectives. We gather those requirements and build a transparent timeline so everyone knows exactly how the project will evolve."

From there, communication is constant. Regular check-ins and custom-made progress reports ensure that the "black box" of data management is fully transparent.

The Human Side of Change

Technology is rarely the biggest challenge; change management is. Jens is refreshingly honest about the fact that AI can’t solve everything on its own:

"We have to manage expectations. AI isn't magic. Users often know their machines and parts perfectly as they've managed them for decades. But data management is a specific skill they were never taught. Our job is to support them through that transition, involving managers and warehouse teams early on so they see how the tool makes their daily life easier."

To make this transition smooth, Jens recommends a lean team of three core roles on the customer side:

1. The Project Owner: To drive the internal vision.
2. The Data Expert: Someone who knows how to access the ERP data.
3. The Real User: A warehouse or material manager who can provide shop-floor insights.

In some projects, customers go one step further, with great results. Jens points to one example:

“One customer brought a Change Manager into the kickoff workshop, and it significantly accelerated alignment and adoption. It’s an approach I would recommend to all customers.”

Involving change management expertise early helps align stakeholders, anticipate resistance, and accelerate adoption, especially in larger or more complex organisations.

The 6-Day Milestone: Proving How Easy Onboarding Can Be

We are often asked how fast a team can actually start using SPARROW. While every organisation has its own data complexity and internal pace, we recently hit a new milestone: completing a full onboarding in just six days. Jens clarifies: 

"This isn’t a rigid deadline we set for every project. Rather, it’s a proof of concept. It shows that when the goals are clear and the data is accessible, our process is flexible enough to move at the speed of the customer’s business."

In this instance, the transition from the initial kickoff workshop to the team actively working with their catalogue in the platform happened in under a business week, a timeline that traditional enterprise software implementations rarely, if ever, achieve.

No matter the scale of the project, we prioritise a fast start. Whether your journey to full adoption takes six days or a few weeks, our approach is designed to be lightweight and high-impact. We focus on delivering value in stages, ensuring that digital transformation feels like a series of quick wins rather than a daunting, months-long uphill climb.

Propel Your Success with Prioritised Batches

The ability to deliver results in days, not months, comes down to a very practical recommendation from Jens: Focus on the spares that drive your business. Jens observes: 

"We often see a desire to have the entire catalogue cleaned and planned all at once. But the fastest way to see a return on your time is to treat spare parts management as a process of continuous improvement. You don’t need every single part processed to start seeing the benefits."

This phased strategy is exactly what helped Royal Avebe successfully scale their digitalisation across multiple locations. Sander te Riele, Manager Planned Maintenance at Royal Avebe, highlights the value of this partnership:

“I particularly value SPARROW’s pragmatic and phased approach. They didn’t just bring software, but worked with us step by step to build a sustainable process across all sites.”

By focusing on specific batches of data first, teams can secure "quick wins" and build immediate momentum. Jens’ strategy for a fast start is simple:

• Focus on the Critical: Start with the parts you order most frequently or the components that keep your most important machines running.
• See Results Early: By cleaning those high-priority batches first, you get immediate transparency and ROI where it impacts your operations most.
• Scale the Success: Once those high-value wins are secured, you can systematically move through the rest of the catalogue.

“Treating this as a process rather than a one-time event ensures the project stays manageable and focused. It’s about doing the necessary work on the parts that matter most first. You get the biggest benefits as quickly as possible, and that success fuels the rest of the journey."

Conclusion: Digitalisation Without the Downtime

Onboarding at SPARROW is designed to create value early, not after months of preparation. Because teams start working with their data within days and the ERP integration runs in parallel, financial impact follows quickly.

The payback typically comes from very tangible levers: identifying duplicate materials, improving visibility on existing stock, and making better planning decisions for high-usage or fast-moving parts. Instead of waiting for a “perfect” setup, teams can act on the most impactful items immediately and see a payback period of 2 to 4 months. 

Curious about your own potential? We’ve developed an external tool to help you see the numbers for yourself. Use our Cost Savings Calculator to discover your specific savings potential and estimate your own payback period based on your inventory.