When companies grow in size and demand, so does the complexity when it comes to handling them. Many organizations are able to meet their day to day needs by using an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. The only problem is that there are several solutions on the market out there, making it an overwhelming process for business groups to find the right fit.
To help you decide the best EPR solution for your organization, we have the following 4 suggestions to successfully deploy an ERP system.
Identify the Objective
ERP systems provide a vast set of solutions to different problems faced by companies. It is important however to narrow down and identify the reason why you want to implement ERP.
You can start out by analyzing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to identify the key objectives. This is important for both short and long-term, ultimately allowing a business to factor in scalability and gear up for changes that might be necessary for the future.
Evaluate Your Options by Reviewing the Product
According to Capterra, at least 33 percent of businesses do not demo a product before buying it, with at least 22 percent of companies buying the system the moment they heard of it. These statistics are not healthy for business and vendor alike. This is because when businesses fail to efficiently utilize ERP software, they keep bouncing from one vendor to another in hopes of finding their ideal ERP system. This costs both time and money and ultimately results in dwindling revenues.
When companies are unable to find the ERP system to their liking, they end up customizing the software to help run their operations. This customization often results in the ERP system failing in the long run because it only ends up increasing the number of complexities. Businesses can avoid these problems by thoroughly reviewing the product and comparing it against their current and future needs before implementing it.
Ensure Proper Data Migration
Once you have identified a possible ERP solution, the next important step would be to migrate the data in a smooth transition. Trying out the software for the first time would bring about big changes within the company, which makes it all the more important to prioritize more useful data instead of the ones you can do without.
While most ERP systems allow companies to enter all of their data, it is recommended to transfer important bits of data to prevent burdening the software.
Address Any Customization Needs
A great amount of research and capital goes into the design of ERP software, which means that in most cases there is no need for customization. Since the implementation of ERP systems requires major investment decisions by companies, it is important to evaluate the value of the system against their desired results.
Is it possible to customize the ERP system should the need arise? Is the ERP system fit for use without undergoing any changes? These questions should be answered before implementing the system, and if all is done appropriately, you might never need to customize the software at all