ERP Selection

Do I need to go Through an ERP Selection Process?

If you are considering an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, then you need to go through an ERP selection process.  However, you must first determine whether you need an ERP solution.  There are some tell tale signs that say “your business is in need of an ERP solution”.  One sign is rapid growth.  If your organization is experiencing rapid growth and a general feeling of trying to catch up, then you probably need an ERP solution to help manage business operations.  If you’re a manufacturer and you have way too much inventory or too little inventory readily available for your customers, an ERP solution could help you manage this problem.  If your customer satisfaction level is low due to performance, you could use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module along with an ERP solution.  If your financial situation is unknown, you need a financial module with your ERP solution.  If fact, if any aspect of your business is unknown, you need an ERP solution.  ERP solutions enable you to organize all data in one central location to allow for efficiency and accuracy.  Without accurate information there is no way to know where your business has been and where it plans to go.  You are like Dorothy without the yellow brick road and you don’t have those ruby red slippers to click together so that you may go back to Auntie Em.

Now that you’ve decided you need an Enterprise Resource Planning solution, it’s time to start the ERP selection process. Determine which ERP solutions will bridge the gaps in your current processes.  For example, if a gap lies between the orders placed by your sales team and your manufacturing floor, then look for ERP modules that have the capability to address this issue.  Determine which areas of your company are critically in need of repair and how each ERP solution will address these areas.  For example, if your human resources department is in despair, evaluate how each HCM (Human Capital Management) module will repair your department and address the issues that have led to the current situation.  Most importantly, you must know your company inside and out and functionality and technically in order to find an ERP solution that will address and resolve current company issues.  As you go through the ERP selection process, perhaps you’ll find that it is just your current IT infrastructure or functional processes that are holding you back. 

Written by :

kristine H