10 Tips for Successfully Selecting an ERP System - Tip #6

Ready to go!

Whatever process you have taken, you have finally arrived at the point where your company is going to start the journey of selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.  You have strong executive leadership and buy-in, now what? There’s a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it”. Simply put, how well or poorly you plan a project or initiative will largely pre-determine the outcome. Now, you are venturing into the ERP application space. To select the best, most appropriate application and vendor, there are key points that are common, if not universal, to companies that have been successful with their ERP projects.

In this ongoing series, we’ll share best practices garnered from decades of working with customers whose ERP implementation success was pre-determined by their planning and execution thereof. 

1.     Ensure the Project is Properly Staffed and Budgeted

2.     Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

3.     Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

4.     Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to                      where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

5.     Be Open with Your Vendors

6.     Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

7.     Limit Your Short List and Schedule Demos Fairly Close Together

8.     Focus on Value vs. Bells and Whistles

9.     Focus on The Implementation Partner during your Selection Process 

10.   Fully Utilize References to Aid in your Selection Process

    Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

      Imagine competing in the Olympics without taking your first lesson. Or racing at the Indy Speedway before you even have a driver’s license. You can’t just jump right in. Even the smartest companies know when they need help from a consultant. Our project implementers have 10 – 25 years’ experience – yielding on time and on budget reputation. We put a high value on shaping the technology to fit each business’ needs while working closely with your team to step-up from Bronze to Silver and then on to Gold.

      For example, a recent client did not include shipping constraints in their original list of needed improvements. Once we dug into the weeds, it was evident that the shipping department had significant limitations. AIT was able to resolve the constraints and streamline their shipping processes – increasing their efficiency and reducing their parcel shipping costs by at least 33%.

10 Tips for Successfully Selecting an ERP System - Tip #5

Ready to go!

Whatever process you have taken, you have finally arrived at the point where your company is going to start the journey of selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.  You have strong executive leadership and buy-in, now what? There’s a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it”. Simply put, how well or poorly you plan a project or initiative will largely pre-determine the outcome. Now, you are venturing into the ERP application space. To select the best, most appropriate application and vendor, there are key points that are common, if not universal, to companies that have been successful with their ERP projects.

In this ongoing series, we’ll share best practices garnered from decades of working with customers whose ERP implementation success was pre-determined by their planning and execution thereof. 

1.     Ensure the Project is Properly Staffed and Budgeted

2.     Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

3.     Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

4.     Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to                      where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

5.     Be Open with Your Vendors

6.     Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

7.     Limit Your Short List and Schedule Demos Fairly Close Together

8.     Focus on Value vs. Bells and Whistles

9.     Focus on The Implementation Partner during your Selection Process 

10.   Fully Utilize References to Aid in your Selection Process

     Be Open with Your Vendors

      It’s critical that you are open and collaborative with your ERP vendor from the start. The more information you can share, the more successful the deployment. We worked with a company who wouldn’t share information with us, so we didn’t get the whole picture during the sales process. It made it difficult to understand what they wanted and what they needed. Once we closed the deal and started to work with them, they were still that way. Another client put everything on the table from the beginning. They told us who we were competing against, what was going on in the company, what the selection process was, where we stood – our strengths and weaknesses. We had the ability to understand what they wanted and address any perceived deficiencies.

      As you’d expect, the results of two different projects are night and day. You really must look to your vendor as a partner, not an opponent. Back to our example of a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it. In this case, if you’re initially coming from a place of distrust that is unlikely to get better over the course of the relationship. One of the keys is transparency in our partnerships that demands both sides be open.

10 Tips for Successfully Selecting an ERP System - Tip #4

Ready to go!

Whatever process you have taken, you have finally arrived at the point where your company is going to start the journey of selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.  You have strong executive leadership and buy-in, now what? There’s a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it”. Simply put, how well or poorly you plan a project or initiative will largely pre-determine the outcome. Now, you are venturing into the ERP application space. To select the best, most appropriate application and vendor, there are key points that are common, if not universal, to companies that have been successful with their ERP projects.

In this ongoing series, we’ll share best practices garnered from decades of working with customers whose ERP implementation success was pre-determined by their planning and execution thereof. 

1.     Ensure the Project is Properly Staffed and Budgeted

2.     Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

3.     Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

4.     Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to            where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

5.     Be Open with Your Vendors

6.     Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

7.     Limit Your Short List and Schedule Demos Fairly Close Together

8.     Focus on Value vs. Bells and Whistles

9.     Focus on The Implementation Partner during your Selection Process 

10.   Fully Utilize References to Aid in your Selection Process

      Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” 

Prospects share with us the constraints they want to solve today while needing to project solutions for the issues of tomorrow. This takes a different type of focus. It requires the executive staff to be on board in determining how the anticipated growth is to occur.

For example, in a recent implementation, the client had multiple businesses functioning under separate disparate systems and could not rely on the reporting detail because of the requirement to enter the data multiple times. The executive team was able to identify a large need for process improvement and disseminated that vision to the project team, ensuring that the focus remained and was supported in all the right areas. The transition to the new technology and streamlined processes, allowed the company to ensure all separate businesses were operating within their master plan. This provided better efficiency and effectiveness from order inception to financial reporting.

10 Tips for Successfully Selecting an ERP System - Tip #3

Ready to go!

Whatever process you have taken, you have finally arrived at the point where your company is going to start the journey of selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.  You have strong executive leadership and buy-in, now what? There’s a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it”. Simply put, how well or poorly you plan a project or initiative will largely pre-determine the outcome. Now, you are venturing into the ERP application space. To select the best, most appropriate application and vendor, there are key points that are common, if not universal, to companies that have been successful with their ERP projects.

In this ongoing series, we’ll share best practices garnered from decades of working with customers whose ERP implementation success was pre-determined by their planning and execution thereof. 

1.     Ensure the Project is Properly Staffed and Budgeted

2.     Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

3.     Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

4.     Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to where          the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

5.     Be Open with Your Vendors

6.     Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

7.     Limit Your Short List and Schedule Demos Fairly Close Together

8.     Focus on Value vs. Bells and Whistles

9.     Focus on The Implementation Partner during your Selection Process 

10.   Fully Utilize References to Aid in your Selection Process

Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

A requirements list is an important part of planning. However, this list and needs for an ERP system should not be the only consideration that guides your purchasing decision. You should also consider what features you'll need as your business grows. Define your requirements for an ERP application by identifying the high-level differentiators. Avoid overlooking key areas of your operation – observe the big picture, while digging sufficiently into the weeds. We worked with an aerospace company that gave us a list of 1,200 requirements, each a paragraph long. It was so detailed the big picture was lost. Requirements lists are good, but make sure you don’t lose focus on the key differentiators that the big picture identifies.

Along these lines, it’s important to be objective by using defined criteria & evaluation tools.  Some of the best ERP product demos we have seen show you absolutely nothing that addresses your criteria, but they make the application seem amazing. It’s easy to come away with opinions that may or may not be backed up by demonstrable facts. You may like a particular company or application because of their slick sales pitch, but can they really accomplish your long-term objectives? Ask the vendors on your short list what makes them different from their competition.

10 Tips for Successfully Selecting an ERP System -Tip #2

Ready to go!

Whatever process you have taken, you have finally arrived at the point where your company is going to start the journey of selecting and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.  You have strong executive leadership and buy-in, now what? There’s a common phrase that states, “you only get out what you put into it”. Simply put, how well or poorly you plan a project or initiative will largely pre-determine the outcome. Now, you are venturing into the ERP application space. To select the best, most appropriate application and vendor, there are key points that are common, if not universal, to companies that have been successful with their ERP projects.

In this ongoing series, we’ll share best practices garnered from decades of working with customers whose ERP implementation success was pre-determined by their planning and execution thereof. 

1.     Ensure the Project is Properly Staffed and Budgeted

2.     Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

3.     Make a Requirements List but Focus on the High-Level Differentiators

4.     Plan for What You Need Today and Tomorrow. Or as Wayne Gretzky said: “I skate to where          the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

5.     Be Open with Your Vendors

6.     Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help 

7.     Limit Your Short List and Schedule Demos Fairly Close Together

8.     Focus on Value vs. Bells and Whistles

9.     Focus on The Implementation Partner during your Selection Process 

10.   Fully Utilize References to Aid in your Selection Process

Establish an Executive Sponsored Project Team

Implementing a new ERP system can be a daunting task for any organization. Defining clear implementation roles and responsibilities for your internal team is a critical key to success. These employees ideally are technically competent, able to see the company’s vision and embrace change. They should be involved in both the selection and implementation process so that their input is considered throughout the project. We find this dynamic provides the team with a greater sense of responsibility to ensure long-term success. The size and roles of the team are dependent on the size of your company, but at a minimum consist of a project manager, functional leads, and someone responsible for reporting. Functional leads should be prepared to educate themselves to the point where they’ll be able to educate other team members before and after deployment.

At the helm is the project owner, typically a senior executive who has the vision and communication skills to manage change. It’s essential this person (or multiple senior staff) be vocal about what success will look like, provide oversight, and define clearly the roles of the implementation team. A more qualitative skill involves persuading employees who have been doing something the same way for a decade or more to see the value of the new system. Examples: “This system will enable us to grow financially as a company.” “We want to be known for customer service excellence – that’s why we are changing our processes.” “This change will help eliminate frustrations you feel with our outdated processes and enable you to be more productive.”