By: Jayson Gifford

February 19, 2015 – When it comes to investing in an ERP system, the key is to be efficient and plan effectively. Implementing an ERP is usually a complex, costly, and time consuming undertaking. On a positive note it often nets a great ROI and gives you a competitive edge necessary in the modern market.

Typically the issues that plague this decision are the following

#1 Planning – Up front diligence and planning is absolutely essential, often companies dive into the process of seeking a vendor without looking at the necessary function of the new system, how will it benefit the organization? How can our ERP help build efficiencies?

#2 Vetting Vendors Appropriately – Don’t be sold! Look at the functionality, what successes has the vendor had in your sector? The idea is to improve operational performance, so when selecting a vendor it is imperative that they can speak to some of your biggest issues and provide ideas on how to tackle the issue. Lastly, it is always a good idea to ask for references-if you don’t want to become a test case.

#3 Underestimating Time and Resources – Most companies grossly underestimate the necessary resources and time taken to go through this process. Depending on deployment and implementation plans, doing small things like having a dedicated PM for the project can help, but overall this is a rigorous process.

#4 Establishing the team – “The team with the best players wins” – Jack Welsh. It is monumentally important that the organization finds the critical team players and that the vendor gets comfortable working with these folks.

#5 Underestimate the importance of accurate data – Martin Levesque, Director at Datix, said “It is imperative that proper programming parameters are put in place right from the start.” An organization ERP is only as good as the data it provides.

#6 Decommission your legacy system – Streamlining workflow and reduced costs are the reason for a new ERP system, so during implementation be sure to work on phasing out the legacy systems.

# 7 Have a maintenance strategy – Be sure to have a strong maintenece strategy and an ongoing g integration package. As the business evolves the needs evolve, your ERP system should be capable of conforming to business needs in the future.

Conperio Technology Solutions offers state of the art ERP solutions; please contact our Regional office in St Louis for details.