Improve Your ERP Use While Remote
By Johnny Nugent
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees moved to work remotely to flatten the curve. While many companies probably had part-time work from home policies in place already, work from home has never been implemented so quickly and on such a wide scale. It is inevitable that such a sudden transition would be challenging and require an update to some processes.
While many employees will eventually move back to the office, many will stay remote. Now is a great time to look at your ERP system and business processes and decide what’s working, what’s not working, and what changes need to be made. Below are a few ways to improve your ERP system use while remote.
Access ERP System Remotely
Be sure that all employees that need to access the ERP system while remote have proper access. While both on-premise and cloud-based systems can be accessed remotely, cloud-based systems were designed to be accessed remotely. To learn about the many advantages the cloud offers click here.
Take Advantage of Virtual Training
Just because you’re home, doesn’t mean you can't invest in training with your ERP consultant. Remote meeting software makes virtual training a snap. You can also save money by doing the training through teleconferencing versus an onsite visit.
Create Workflows
When employees work from home there is often a breakdown in communication. Setup a notification and approval system to keep tasks moving forward in a timely fashion. Workflows are great for repeated processes that require approvals and input from multiple employees (examples: purchasing an expensive part, performing a financial close at month or quarter-end). We have a full blog on notification and approval systems here.
Reevaluate Reports and Dashboards
In these changing times now more than ever we need to ability to make quick, business informed decisions. This is the time to look at your reports and dashboards. Are they providing the real-time information you need? Or do they need some tweaks?
Automate Manual Processes
If there are manual processes being done on spreadsheets outside of your ERP system, now is the time to automate. Whatever business processes can be automated should be to maximize your employees’ efficiency and productivity. Manufacturing companies could even consider artificial intelligence on the shop floor to automate warehouse processes.
Conclusion
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many companies to endure, it’s given many a unique opportunity to look at their business processes and to make improvements. Take advantage of this small silver lining of these unprecedented times to ensure your business can endure whatever these next few months throw our way.
