Choosing the right ERP solution for your business can be a challenge. There is a wide range of options available, in terms of price and functionality, and what is ‘right’ for your competitor may not be a good fit for your business. The question is, however, where do you start?
Where are we now?
So, you already know your business is experiencing pain points, but do you know what is causing those pains? What systems are you currently using to manage your critical business data? And how are these preventing your business moving forward?
Over-reliance on spreadsheets has always been an issue as businesses expand. What worked for them as a start-up begins to constrain them as they grow. Having to duplicate data entry between systems that don’t talk to each other creates extra manual work, as well as inaccuracies caused by human error. After all, it only takes a decimal place typed wrong or a mistake in a formula to cause big issues in the accuracy of the data, as well as a significant amount of time wasted trying to find out why the figures are wrong.
What about if your business manufactures or distributes products? In this case, you will need an effective inventory management system, otherwise how do you know what you have in stock, or where certain items are? Stock management is very prone to human error – miscounting and mislaying items is easily done. Recounting and searching for ‘missing’ stock is a big waste of time and resources.
What processes do you want to improve?
Choosing the right ERP solution for your business can be guided by working out what you want to achieve. Most companies begin this journey with the goal of automating processes and gaining increased insight into the state of their businesses through better quality data. Analysis and reporting abilities gives them information they can use to back up their strategic decisions. Some companies are struggling with stock management, or disparate systems that are increasing manual labour. Other companies may want a solution that can automate their processes across borders; they might need localisations that can cope with multiple languages, currencies, and legal requirements. With these factors in mind, we have put together our top tips for choosing the right ERP solution for your business.
Top tips for choosing the right ERP
- Features and benefits – work out what you want to achieve and what you really need, both now and in the future. Knowing where you want to take the business in the medium and long-term is essential to ensure you buy the right ERP system now. A good system will grow with you and support your company’s growth for the future. It is false economy to buy the cheaper option now and go through this process again in three years’ time when you realise it doesn’t do quite what you need.
- Consider your budget, but budget for your future needs – this is related to the point above. Investing in an ERP system is rarely a ‘cheap’ project, so it is essential to consider your business needs and budget accordingly.
- Get the right project team in place – this is also related to point 1 above. It is important to draw upon your teams’ experience in their particular area to really understand what their needs are, what features they want from the system and how it will benefit their departments. Involving someone from each department, who has a deep understanding of how things work, and how they want things to work, will help support the selection process and ensure the right system is chosen to fit the business’s needs.
- Financing – many ERP suppliers offer financing options, which may make the purchase of your new system more affordable. It is also worth investigating available grant options, which can offset a significant proportion of the cost if relevant criteria are met.
- Deployment method – this is also worth considering, particularly if you choose cloud-based deployment. This makes the cost of your investment an operational expense rather than a capital expense, so is often easier to justify.
- Choosing the right partner – working with the right partner is essential to ensure the success of your project. Often this comes down to a very simple matter of whether you like the partner’s team and feel you can work with them. However, it is also important to consider their teams’ experience in your type of business. They will work alongside you to ensure the smooth implementation of your chosen solution, but their expertise may also provide you with suggestions for different ways of doing things. Their consultants may have ideas on how to use the system to achieve certain things that you may not have previously considered. A well-established company will have a team of highly qualified consultants who will support you through the implementation process.
ERP as the digital core
As the digital core of your business, the ERP solution is at the heart of all your operations. It can automate and improve processes in every area. This results in big time savings, optimised use of resources, better quality of data and ultimately increased efficiency, all of which can have a dramatic effect on your business processes. It is important to choose wisely as the solution you choose will support your business for the long-term.
Ascarii’s team of highly qualified consultants loves to work alongside our customers to ensure the successful implementation of their SAP Business One solutions. With both technical and functional experience across most industries, we are able to guide customers through the process, helping them to achieve their goals and objectives. For more information about SAP Business One and Ascarii, and to discuss your requirements with our friendly team, please contact us now.