5 Tips for Getting the Most From Your ERP System
By Jackie Aldrich
ERP systems are huge time and financial investments for a company, but also crucial to a well-run business. So, with that in mind, how can you ensure you are getting the most out of your ERP system?
Getting the most out of your ERP investment starts during the ERP search process and continues through implementation, deployment, and beyond. Check out our list of ways to get the most out of your ERP system below.
1. Define Your Business Processes
Before delving into an ERP search, take the time to dissect your business processes. Figure out what is working and what isn’t. Having clearly defined business processes will help you select the right ERP system for your organization as well as make the implementation process much smoother.
2. Choose the Right ERP System
Choosing the perfect ERP system for your organization is very important to getting the most out of your ERP system. Some advice for choosing the right ERP system include:
- Getting support from the top level of your organization.
- Choosing a strong and experienced ERP project leader.
- Defining Your needs and wants.
- Doing your research.
3. Customize to Meet Your Needs
Although ERP systems are designed to be one-size-fits-all solutions, should your budget allow, working with the ERP provider to make customizations during the implementation process and beyond can ensure you get the most out of your ERP system. Customizing reports, adding or hiding fields, and adding new functionality can make the system much more effective for your organization.
4. Invest in Continued Training
After ‘going live’, it is important to continue to stay up-to-date on your training. Here are some great ways to continue your training post implementation:
- Invest in more consulting hours every so often or when a new employee joins your team.
- Attend your ERP vendor’s annual customer conference.
- Have your ERP vendor perform a business assessment to see where your organization could do things more effectively.
- Read all release notes when they come out to ensure you’re not missing anything.
5. Stay Current on the Latest Versions
Similar to our last piece of advice for getting the most out of your ERP system, staying current on the latest version of the software is extremely important as it allows you to take advantage of enhancements, bug fixes, customizations done for other customers, and new reports.
One advantage to being a cloud user is that you are always kept up to date on the latest version of the software without having to task your IT department with the job.
Conclusion
ERP is a huge undertaking for an organization. Ensure that you are getting the maximum ROI by following these five tips above. Interested in learning more about Visibility ERP? Get in touch with us. You can contact us online or by calling us at 978-269-6500.
