How to Choose ERP – Upgrading your systems and choosing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a significant decision so it’s important to get it right. First of all you need to understand why you are doing it.
Digital 1st
As your business grows you may well find that you are using a collection of different software that you assembled as you went along but to keep ahead of the competition you now need an efficient system that fully integrates your processes. In other words, to be really efficient you need to join the dots. A digital system that is fit for the future is no longer a “nice to have” it is essential.
ERP is the answer
Growing small and medium sized businesses are in a great place to benefit from the new breed of cloud based ERP because costs are low and the efficiencies they create can give companies a real boost.
But choosing ERP is one of the most important decisions you will make and so you will need help in making the right choice and you will want to measure and evaluate the process on the basis of KPIs like implementation time, budget and the overall impact on current operations.
So how to do you go about it ?
Making Your Choice
Many people start by getting at least 3 potential market vendors and then use pricing to make their decision. With this method though, you may be purchasing something that doesn’t fit your need
Another way is to put more weight behind your choice of vendor – ideally the people you choose to work with will become trusted advisors and consultants, guiding you through an evaluation of how you currently do things and how you might do them in the future.
For example, if you are a manufacturing company handling production via excel spreadsheets, using a legacy system for accounting and outsourcing for warehousing then you are not set up for maximum efficiency, in fact your system is highly fragmented due to the lack of communication between your operations. Without joining up the dots you may struggle to survive against competitors who have already adjusted to the digital world.
When you meet with your vendor to discuss your company’s specific needs – here are some of the points you will want to consider together.
Company strategy
What does your roadmap look like?
What makes your company unique?
Are you planning to expand globally?
Are you planning a major acquisition?
Are you implementing a new business model?
Global Trends
What are the global trends that impact your business?
How do you plan to win Competition in the digital era?
How are you planning to comply with new regulations?
How do you plan to expand globally?
Conclusion
So, to select the best solution for your needs you need to re-examine your company’s objectives and choose a solution that will allow you to achieve these goals as you grow. We recommend SAP Business ByDesign which has many different modules to join up all aspects of your operation. With clear usable analytics for analysis in real time it is also highly customisable to your needs. Please contact us for a chat about how we can help you.
