5 tips when choosing an ERP system
When you recognize the need for a new and updated ERP system to support your company’s growth or cost structure, the hunt is on to find the right system from the right supplier and on the optimal platform – and we can help you make the right choice for your needs.
ERP experience: What you need to consider
With previous experience of implementing ERP systems, you know that there are a number of things that are the same – and a lot of lessons that can be reused
However, there are also a number of new factors that need to be taken into account. These relate to, among other things, the paradigm shift in technology (e.g. cloud), but also that business models are changing faster than before, and therefore the ERP system should ideally be able to keep up without having to be coded yellow and blue.
Top 5 tips for ERP selection
- Start from the back – With what customers should receive (the product and documents). For example, it doesn’t make sense to deliver a state-of-the-art product in low-cost packaging with boring standard documents that look like something from the 80s.
- Focus on customers – not your own needs. They ARE the ones we live off.
- Listen to your users – that’s where the gold is. Here, it’s harder to separate innovation or hassle from “this is how we usually do it”.
- The mantra is standard, standard and standard – but remember to budget for customizations. Reality is coming, and the real wins often lie in “standard with tweaks”.
- You’ll be living with it for many years – choose the right partner and ERP system from the start. There is a lot of literature on this part – and it can be a very time-consuming process. Therefore, talk to references and beware of the agendas of “independent” consultants.
One last piece of advice: REMEMBER to set aside time for TESTS. It sounds simple, but this is where many projects fail – often in the very last minutes leading up to a go-live.
