ERP – Start with the last thing first!
The simple or large ERP solution?
Customer-facing documents are one of the most visible results of a successful ERP implementation. It’s also an incredibly important result, because without labels – no shipments and without invoices – no cash flow and liquidity.
Often it’s a rather overlooked area that in some cases isn’t ready for the first UAT and go-lives. In such cases, it can increase risks in all ERP projects:
- delays
- expensive and inflexible solutions
- poor quality
“Partner selection is more important than product selection”
Herbert Nathan
There’s a lot to do in an ERP project
Often there are also many participants in a project – both internal and external. Everyone has different skills, but the same purpose.
Using project participants (from the ERP vendor or internally) for tasks they haven’t tried many times before can often lead to delays and budget overruns.
There are many tools for creating ERP documents, including Word – but not many people know the requirements and conditions that are important in terms of content and distribution.
“Even the worst tool with the best skill is better than bad skills with the right tool”
Lennart Garbarsch, Partner, Tabellae
Start with a “Fast Track” document package
Always ask your ERP vendor if they have the right experience
If they have knowledge, that’s great – but knowledge + experience = competence, and your ERP project deserves that.
A Best Practice package contains the essential customer documents from day 1. In addition, you can start with a Fast Track package, which is often 60-70% ready for the final customer-facing deliverable, which also includes know-how. Most ERP vendors have access to such a package for Dynamics 365 FO and BC as well as SAP.
Fortunately, the days of coding customer documents in the ERP system are long gone for most consultancies, who need their consultants for other ERP tasks.
Business documents are complex
Several of our consultants have been working with ERP documents for more than 25 years, and it IS getting easier. However, the world has become much more complex in terms of customer requirements, international requirements, document formats, etc.
“I don’t know one person who has ALL the right skills,” says Lennart Garbarsch.
But with the right ERP vendor, the right team and the right tools, you’re in for a very exciting and rewarding time. Congratulations on your decision to switch to a modern, compatible and streamlined ERP system!
