The art of choosing the right ERP system
The successful implementation of an ERP system has provoked considerable interest over the last few years. Although there is no shortage of reports on the success of ERP installations, many companies have tossed millions of dollars in this direction with little to show for it.
Since many of the ERP failures today can be attributed to inadequate planning prior to installation, we decided to ask one of our experts here at Monitor, Sales Manager Johan Holmsten, a few questions about how to implement a successful ERP system for your company.
5 things to keep in mind ...
... before choosing an ERP system
- Identify bottlenecks and problems and make sure that your new ERP system has good solutions for them. It's also important to identify the strengths and competitive advantages in your business and make sure that your new ERP system can keep or increase your competitiveness in those areas.
- Set clear goals – What are the effects in your business that you want to achieve with your new ERP system?
- The ERP system should focus on your industry. In other words, the ERP system should have standard functionality that covers your company’s needs with no or limited need for customization. This will ensure it is cost-effective over time, easy to upgrade, and easy to support.
- Ask for references and always ask to see previous projects. The implementation team from the ERP system supplier is as important as the system itself. The ERP system supplier must have good implementation consultants with experience from similar industries, and they need to be able to understand your business, your needs, and your vision. Only then can they come up with the best solutions for you.
- Take a long-term view when choosing an ERP supplier. An ERP system is not something that you change every year. This will be a long-term relationship. Your ERP system supplier needs to be able to develop the product and supply services in the same direction that your company develops.
What are the most important questions customers want to answer?
Finally, they want to feel secure that we have an experienced implementation team that can do the job required.
What makes Monitor ERP different from our competitors?
We focus 100% on the manufacturing industry and have been doing so since the start of 1974.
That means our product has extremely wide and in-depth functionality to meet the needs of different types of manufacturing companies. It also means our staff has strong experience in manufacturing, so we speak your language.
We have nearly 5,000 customers, all in manufacturing, and they all use the same standard system. This makes Monitor ERP quick and easy to implement, easy to support, and easy to upgrade.
What does a company need to have in place in order to implement an ERP system?
To have the right internal project team in place. The project team should consist of a driven project manager and project members who are process owners. They also need to have the time required for the implementation. We’ll do the rest.
