Do you need to implement a new ERP solution?

Here are some tell-tale signs it’s time to take action.

Whether you’re running a small- to medium-sized business or a large enterprise organisation, there are a few red flags to watch out for when it comes to your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. If you’re experiencing any of the following, your current business management software is likely reaching the end of its useful life.

The business is using a patchwork of software applications, making it extremely challenging to formulate an organisation-wide view.

Business is more complex than ever. As your business and technology evolves it’s becoming clear your software cannot support current needs. Your team is now having to cope with system limitations by taking on stopgap solutions, or employing unwieldy options such as spreadsheets. 

You’re not alone. Many New Zealand businesses have been installing point solution after point solution as stopgap measures, leaving stakeholders dealing with many disparate systems.

Your ERP system is a core part of how information is gathered. If you want to generate meaningful insights and ensure you deliver the right products, services and messages to the right stakeholders, at the right time, an integrated solution is a vital ingredient for success.

Growing diversification or sophistication has stretched your current system to its limits.

Can your ERP solution manage multiple entities? If the answer is no or there are issues around access and visibility, it’s going to make it harder to manage business needs across locations or businesses.

If you’ve got branches in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, for example, it makes sense to have a solution that provides a complete picture of what’s happening, not only in each location, but also across the business. In a digital world, there’s less and less room for manual reporting and delays when dealing with savvy global competitors.

Access to key information is limited, slow or impossible.

Is generating reports a cumbersome process involving many manual steps? Are you dealing with an overwhelming amount of fragmented or duplicate data? Are you struggling to see what’s happening across various entities?

You want timely access to quality data, organised in a way that makes sense to decision makers, that way you can gain immediate, and actionable, insights. As we move into the digital economy, it pays to know exactly how the business is performing and to understand what customers want.

It’s not possible to integrate new digital initiatives with your ERP solution.

You recognise the need to create or improve your digital presence, but your current system does not support this. Increasingly, suppliers and customers are expecting seamless digital integration. Businesses that are unable to meet this requirement run the risk of losing out.

Your ERP software is limping along.

Your ERP system may have served you well in the past, but now it’s costing time and money to make enhancements to keep it running. And while it’s technically still in service, all those other software solutions we mentioned earlier are still necessary.

Much like a car, there comes a point when investing more time and money no longer makes sense. In the long run, it’s costing more to keep the system from breaking down, or to cope with down-time, than it would be to replace the existing software.

We know that selecting and implementing a new ERP solution is no small feat. Most of what goes right (and what ultimately goes wrong) is linked to the quality of planning at each stage.  

While there will be many key project milestones to track, in our experience, implementing new business management software has five critical stages:

• Defining goals and scope
• Understanding business requirements
• Evaluating software options
• Implementing and customising the solution
• Post-implementation training and optimisation

In this article series, we’ll walk you through the key steps for each stage to help you build a clear roadmap and future proof your solution as much as possible. Stay tuned for our next article about defining goals and scope to ensure project success.

If you’re planning on implementing a new ERP solution, and would like to speak to an expert who can help you accelerate the process by providing practical advice, feel free to get in touch with me by emailing kevin.mcmenamin@solnet.co.nz or by calling +64 9 977 5805.