Your business is booming – and that’s something to celebrate.
Unfortunately, you’ve started noticing a buildup of problems like balances that won’t reconcile at the end of the month, poor inventory management, and an HR team with nowhere to house important documentation.
An ERP system can resolve these problems, allowing you to secure, control and integrate your business processes across departments, and enabling your company to continue to grow without adding headcount.
That said, don’t rush into your ERP implementation. The earlier adopters of ERP in the 90s taught us some valuable lessons that you can use to your advantage. Every organization has a different “tipping point” that indicates they’re ready for ERP, and understanding your most important goals for the system will be important for its success.
Turnkey Technologies, a leading ERP implementation consultant in St. Louis, recognizes six points that will help make your ERP project go smoothly.
Here we go.
Pain – tell me where it hurts…
Finding and resolving the most critical problems of your outdated financial system is the first step and will lead to the fastest ROI. Some problem areas that an effective ERP system may help eliminate include, but are definitely not limited to:
- Reporting on accurate financial information and business intelligence
- Planning and scheduling the distribution of products
- Managing costs and expenses
- Securing and controlling your business processes
Another important thing to consider is how much each of the various pain points are costing your company. Knowing this information will allow you to look more closely at ERP systems designed to heal your most expensive pain points.
Process – how should everything work?
Before purchasing and implementing a new ERP system, it is important to have a sound understanding about how current financial and operational processes work within your company. This will help you identify your critical features, as well as analyze the performance improvements that can be gained from various ERP solutions. Ultimately, consider how the ERP solution will make your business processes efficient and user-friendly.
People – who will be affected?
Be sure to consider the thoughts and attitudes of everyone who will be affected by the solution, including the end-users. It is crucial to include major users of the new ERP system in the planning and implementation process, as their feedback can help identify processes that need improvement. Their inclusion will help them to feel more involved in the new solution and increase buy-in. Your employees will begin to feel excited about everything they will be able to accomplish after the system is up and running.
Price – when will you reach your ROI?
As with every company, you are probably operating on a budget. Cloud deployment models of ERP systems are much more affordable to maintain than traditional on-premise solution. Additionally, the predictable monthly costs of Cloud ERP make financial planning easier and help you analyze your time to ROI.
Product – does it meet current and future requirements?
Choosing which ERP system is right for your company will be more of a straightforward decision after you have addressed the previous 4 P’s. Taking a closer look at your company’s pain points, processes, people, and price range will guide you to a list of necessary features and benefits the ERP system your company purchases must have. When narrowing down the list of possible products, keep in mind other systems your company uses. Having integrated ERP and CRM can play an important role in true business process optimization.
Partner – who will make sure this is done right?
One of the most important and final steps is choosing the right ERP software implementation partner. A great partner will complete your project by the highest standards and within your budget and timeline.
Beyond any bells and whistles of sales and marketing, your partner needs to have real experience. In addition to having a focus on areas that align to your goals, they should be able to clearly identify and foresee any potential challenges regarding hardware, software and personnel as they relate to the project.
Finally, consider your partner’s location. A local partner can provide personal, onsite support and hands-on services at a fraction of the cost of a remote partner.
Thinking about implementing an ERP system? Call us today. We are happy to discuss your goals and how a new ERP system can help you achieve them.
