Selecting a well-matched Enterprise Resource Planning system can facilitate increased profitability and long-term health for your business. Selecting a poorly-matched system can have just the opposite impact. In an era where the right software can give you an edge against your competition, few decisions are so worthy of a systematic and rigorous process as auditing your ERP options. If your company is approaching this process - or even just getting started in it - you'll want to read our next couple of blog posts dedicated to conducting a smart search and finding the solution that best meets your business needs.
The devil is in the details, and the details determine whether or not a system is appropriate, usable, and beneficial to your organization. When evaluating ERP systems for the right match with your business, be sure to pay close attention to the differences as well as the similarities. In the first post in this series, we'll provide some guidelines for deciding which ERP system best meets the needs of your company. You will learn how to assess an ERP system for:
- Functionality: Does it fit the usability needs of your industry and your business?
- Product Maturity: Does it have a track record and a reputation for reliability?
- Software Provider: Is the manufacturer a stable company that will be around for the long haul?
- Community: Is the product surrounded by a community consisting of implementation and consulting partners, satisfied users, active user groups, discussion threads, and conferences?
- Truth in Advertising: The competition may be undercut, but are you accepting an inferior product as a consequence?
Suppliers will always claim the superiority of their respective products. But, of course, not every platform can be the perfect choice for your company. Methodical and rigorous evaluation of predetermined elements is the smartest way to end up with the best-fitting suit. In our second post, we'll supply you with 10 tips you can employ during your process to help your company make an intelligent ERP selection. You will learn to:
- Know the big issues
- Make a list and check it twice
- Focus
- Zero in
- Recognize that easy-to-use is not always a cliché
- Get the full price
- Check references
- Control the demo
- Avoid being penny wise but pound foolish
- Put your A-Team on the project
So move past flashy claims and end up with the features you really need. These two upcoming posts will provide tips and advice to assist your team in choosing an ERP system that meets the needs of your specific business.
If you'd like to learn more while waiting for these posts to be published, check out our blog series that addresses some important considerations for ERP system replacement. And if you have your own suggestions for smart ERP selection, please share your thoughts in the comments!