Implementing ERP software into your business allows you to manage and integrate data from your core business processes into one system. Benefits include increased productivity, improved efficiency, and more flexibility.
However, these benefits can only be realized if your system is properly implemented in the first place, and the project is given the care and attention it deserves. We’ve put in concert this guide to ensure that your ERP project is a success from the outset.
Proper planning is vital for any large-scale project, and implementing ERP software is likely on the way to be one of the biggest in-house projects you will undertake as a business. You need to get the right people involved and understand exactly what processes need to be improved so that you can select the right system and the right vendor.
It doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve got your ERP software implemented you need to make sure it is a triumph, and one of the biggest hurdles is achieving employee buy-in. Making sure your employees are on board and using the system correctly is vital since it’s only from first to last their input that it can be a success.
Good training is one of the best ways to achieve employee buy-in for your new ERP system. When people have been doing something the same way for a long time, they can be anti to change, particularly if they find the new system difficult to use.
The big decision to make regarding training is whether to provide it in-house or hire a trainer outside your business (this could be your implementation partner). If you’re confident that you boast people in your organization who provide excellent training then a ‘train the trainer’ approach may be best.
As well as providing good training to your staff, you should also make sure that senior staff members are using the system as they should be. This shows your employees that the system provides benefit across the entire organization and sets a good example. If staff members distinguish that their managers aren’t using the system correctly, then they are likely to follow suit.
You should make sure that the system is regularly reviewed and performing well. Take the time to speak to users of the system ask them how they are finding it, what’s working, and what they are ruling difficult. Provide extra training if necessary.