Deploying an enterprise resource planning system to maximize your monetary and time investment can be one of the best moves your small warehouse business can make. Here are some tips on how you can improve overall efficiency of your ERP software.
1. Make a clear and extensive list of requirements
Before shopping for the right ERP software, define what it is your small business needs. Focus on specific business processes and system requirements. The more specific and upfront about what you want to implement will allow us here at Beckard Associates to build the most personalized inventory management system for your company.
2. Think before you customize
Consider the amount of customization required to configure and deploy your resource planning system and the high costs, not only in the initial deployment, but for each upgrade. However, with each upgrade you will broaden the scope in which you can organize data such as mobile phone use on the go.
3. Factor in change management
Organizational change management is crucial to the success of your project. “Typical ERP projects facilitate massive change in organizations that can include changing of day to day job descriptions or eliminating job descriptions in total. These changes impact the culture of your company and without careful control and communication plans and workshops you can create an adverse reaction to ERP resulting in barriers to implementation and adoption,” says Matt Thompson, vice president of professional services at EstesGroup, an ERP managed services and technology solutions provider.
4. Appoint someone internally as ERP project manager
Appoint someone as project manager to work with a Beckard associate rather than relying solely on one of our professionals. Having an internal employee as a familiar voice will allow for a partnership in creating your ERP project. It is important to train the employee on user requirements as well as making him a contact for all employees. The employee will also be working with one of our associates on data conversion. 5. Provide the necessary time and resources for training on the ERP system “Learning a new way of operating will require a significant time commitment for everyone, so the project team must take proactive measures to reduce the burden on employees,” says Joel Schneider, co-founder, Liberty Technology Advisors, an IT consulting firm that specializes in ERP, business processes and project rescue. “Identify department-specific needs, allowing for sufficient time to develop and deliver training programs.”
5. Provide the necessary time and resources for training on the ERP system
“Learning a new way of operating will require a significant time commitment for everyone, so the project team must take proactive measures to reduce the burden on employees,” says Joel Schneider, an IT consulting firm that specializes in ERP, business processes and project rescue. “Identify department-specific needs, allowing for sufficient time to develop and deliver training programs.”