The more we look at vendors and implementation, the less sure we are of the system we thought we were decided upon. Clearly we have to get both right... right system and right implementation partner. Your thoughts on criteria or considerations would be appreciated./p>
Roger, you are correct in that it is two separate questions.
1. The system - it starts with your requirements. What are you looking to achieve? All ERPs have various modules and some are more suited to certain types of businesses than others. You should have your requirements defined, categorized by some level of importance (for example: must have or nice to have). Then clearly know how each vendor matches up to those. Is it a function out of the box, can it be configured (built in option), or is it a custom change (coding). Custom tends to be the most expense from a total cost of ownership. Requirements should also be viewed from stakeholders across the company.
2. The Implementation partner - Here you want to ensure they have experienced staff to work on your engagement. They should know your industry and have implemented the system before in companies similar to yours. However, it's important to understand that implementation is not something that is done for you. You will need to dedicate some amount of resources to work with this partner on the implementation. This is a good time to take a look at your processes and make improvements that are supported by the new system. You don't want to automate a bad process. Implementation of cloud based systems is basically a series of questions. "We can do it however you want it" is something you will hear often. This takes a skilled partner to lead you and your team through the discussions that help you make those decisions. One of my most successful implementations had an internal core team come to agreement on "guiding principles". Limit customization, be open to changing our process, ask "why" to legacy processes, etc. As you are deep in the implementation process, it is good to have some guidelines to keep things on track.
Would be happy to answer any more questions you have. Good luck!
Good points, Nicole - especially #1.
Roger, it sounds like it's gotten complicated. Here are two free
Transforming Your Business With Cloud ERP
Cloud ERP and Accounting: Selection and Planning Guide
And finally, if you haven't already, you should definitely get your free copy of
"The Proformative Community Guide To ERP Selection & Implementation:"
https://www.proformative.com/whitepapers/proformative-community-guide-erp-selection-implementation
It's an incredibly handy guide - kind of the collected ERP wisdom of the Proformative Community.
Enjoy!
Best... Sarah
Thanks, Sarah. Both good white papers.
Nicole's comments are on-target. The right partner plus the right system is really key, but nobody does it all for you... it takes active participation.
I would also suggest reading as many user reviews as you can of both the system and if possible the partner. They can really help fill in the blanks in even an informal SWOT analysis of the implementation project, partner or system.
Good luck, Roger.
Also calculate into your equation the amount of customization you'll have to perform to achieve what you think is nirvana.
Now take that amount and multiply it annually for the life of the product, because that's what it will cost you to maintain your modification assuming you will update the base product.
That really will skew the vendors ROI proposal...
My suggestion is to question a dozen times why you need to modify the source code before you do so... because it is usually ego speaking, not reality.
Only two small points to add to the largely excellent comments above.
a. Usually, the best indicator that your ERP will "fit" is the fact that it's already being used by companies very much like yours. If all the other companies in your industry are using a particular ERP (and implementation partner), it would behoove you to assume that it's right for you, too.
b. No ERP fits perfectly. So when you pick one, you are implicitly choosing to support the parts of your company that fit at the expense of the parts of your company that don't fit. So if you've got a problem with the one you're looking at, ask yourself whether it supports the stuff that's essential for you. If it doesn't, it's probably not right.
I agree with Mr. Boecking's comments about "proof of concept," but disagree strongly about steering away from NetSuite and growth. NetSuite got its start by selling to growing companies, and they're still a substantial part of NetSuite's customer base. Cloud products that fit can be very beneficial to growing companies, because you don't have to divert needed dollars into IT investment. If the product doesn't fit, of course, then it doesn't fit, cloud or on-premise.
