The purpose of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation is to allow your organization to become more efficient. Do you think your software may be slowing down, rather than speeding up your organization’s productivity? If so, below are some clear indicators that your current ERP solution might not be up to par.
1. Data is Not Provided in Real Time
If your company is dealing with a large volume of orders, sales, customer interactions, etc. it’s necessary that you can see and respond to data in real-time. In many cases, older ERP systems don’t update automatically and prevent or delay you from taking immediate action.
2. Too Much Manual Input
Are you having to manually input data? Just about all modern companies rely on the Internet or other technology-based interfaces in order to interact with customers and vendors. Having to manually input this kind of data is time consuming and inefficient, and an updated ERP solution can help automate processes.Considering an ERP system for your organization? Download our whitepaper, A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investing in an ERP Solution, to better understand the cost expectations of an ERP for your business.
3. Inability to Configure According to Your Needs
Your ERP solution should be configurable to meet the individual needs of your company. If you find yourself always thinking how nice it would be, or how much time it would save if your ERP solution could do such a thing it might be time to consider an update. A good ERP system will allow you to adjust the software accordingly for your company needs. In addition to configuration, a good ERP system should also be able to adapt to change. If your ERP system can’t adjust, or scale to additions such as new warehouses or more customers or employees, it’s time to move on.
4. Requires the Use of Too Many External Resources
The main point of an ERP system is to allow you to access and store your company’s data on one collective platform. A good ERP solution will allow you to integrate external sources and build out a single source of truth for your data. If you’re finding that you have to use other external sources either because your ERP system doesn’t provide those services or because the services provided are inadequate and you are unable to seamlessly integrate with your ERP, you may have outgrown your current system.Aside from the four reasons above, there could be many indicators that your business needs to update their core systems. If your organization is having problems with one, or any, of the following processes, it may be time to consider an upgrade, or new ERP implementation:
• Financial & Operational Reporting
• Debits, Credits, & Payroll
• Network & Web Traffic
• Procurement & Planning
• Inventory Management
• Shipping & Payments
• Manufacturing & Production
Wally Merkas is a senior manager in Withum Digital’s Cloud Solutions & Management Consulting practice.