Back to ERP
By: Katie Foley
Labor Day weekend is fast approaching, and it feels like these summer days are dwindling. September means back-to-school time here in the Northeast. Sure, January 1st is when we celebrate the official New Year, but there’s something about the first day of school that always feels like a fresh start. As a mom to school-aged children, while I love the slower, more leisurely pace of summer, I look forward to the routine that September and ‘back to school’ time provides.
ERP users can benefit from looking at September as a fresh start and the opportunity to get back into a good routine too. You don’t need to wait until January to get yourself on the right track! Here are some tips for how ERP users, like school-aged children getting ready for school, can get ‘back to ERP’ this fall.
Set Goals for the Year
Aiming for straight A’s this year? Or maybe perfect attendance? Just like students and parents set goals as they embark on a new school year, an ERP user can use the fall to look at the current state of their business and set goals for the months ahead. Perhaps it’s time for a new ERP system. Or maybe it’s time to make the customizations or additional reports you never got around to before implementation and go live. Maybe this is the year you eliminate any outside spreadsheets or workarounds or go paperless. Whatever your goals are, aim high and make them happen this year.
Invest in the Supplies You Need to Succeed
Pencils, pens, crayons, markers, glue, notebooks, binders, folders, backpack. These are just a few of the school supplies students need to succeed in school. ERP users can also invest further in their ERP system. This could mean attending your ERP vendor’s annual conference to network with your vendor’s employees and fellow customers. Or purchasing add-on modules to enhance your use of the system. This could mean investing in a business assessment to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your business and make changes where necessary. Or scheduling some additional one-on-one time for additional training to ensure you’re using best practices. The implementation doesn’t end at go-live. There are many ways to continually improve your use of the system.
Stick to a Routine
Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, make the school bus, school time! After school time might mean soccer practice, homework, dinner, and bedtime. ERP users should set a schedule to meet their ERP goals this year. If you’re amid an ERP implementation, set a training routine for your team and stick to it. If you’re a long-term ERP user that’s looking to brush up on some best practices, work time into your weekly routine to devote to self-training or training with a consultant.
Just because you’re not in school (or sending little ones off to school) doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the ‘back to school’ feeling. Everyone should use this time to reset and get their goals in line for a successful year. If your ERP goals for this year include finding a new ERP vendor look no further than Visibility. Contact us here to learn how we can help your manufacturing business meet your ERP goals.
