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Best ERP Selection Process
Best ERP Selection Process
Selecting a new ERP is no small task. It’s time-intensive and involves collaboration internally and externally. If your company is thinking about ERP implementation, check out our top ERP Selection criteria.
ERP Software
ERP is a business management software (accounting and operation oriented) that enables organizations to use one system to manage business processes. ERP software has become the leading solution of choice for growing businesses that want to maintain and improve their competitive edge.
1. The Functional Fit for Your Organization
This might seem straight forward, but evaluating how the functionality of ERP software products and services fit with your business is the most important (and time consuming) aspect in the ERP selection process. Finding the best functional fit includes evaluating ERP software, watching ERP demos, and meeting with solution consultants. It also includes internal work. One of the most helpful things you can do during a selection project is facilitate internal discussions to determine your business requirements for ERP and outline the functional areas to address. Key questions that can help shape these discussions are:
– What is outdated about your current system? Why are you considering a new ERP?
– What works well with your current business systems?
– What manual processes could you potentially automate?
– In what areas of the business are you lacking visibility – or have a hard time with reliable business reporting?
– What other systems need to be integrated with the ERP?
The end result should be a detailed list of requirements for new ERP software solution.
2. Industry Experience
Another good question to ask during an ERP selection is: what ERP software is used in your industry? While not necessarily industry-specific, some ERP solutions are optimized to perform best in industries such as manufacturing and distribution. This is an important question that can help narrow the list of the ERP software you evaluate.
3. ERP Implementation Project Considerations
– Timing for the business. Is it the right time to take on this project? If not, when? This is often a difficult question. In most cases, there’s never the perfect time – however there might be better times than others. For example, after a merger or acquisition might be the right time, or when deciding between a major (expensive) upgrade of your current system versus new software. Otherwise, the right time depends heavily on your team.
– People and executive support. An ERP implementation needs both executive support and involvement, as well as upper management and other key internal leaders on the project.
– Methodology and a project plan. To be successful, an ERP implementation methodology is fundamental. Thorough project planning and project communication tools are also keys to success.
4. The Technology
In addition to software functionality, there are other technology considerations that are important to the ERP selection process. Best-in-class ERP software includes, at a minimum, these technology features:
– End user reporting tools – easier access to information, no development skills necessary
– Simplicity in UI and UX
– Business intelligence
– Data security
– Reliable system performance and response time – very limited downtime
– Ability to integrate with other systems
– Ability to make necessary customization
5. Risk
Taking the time to create a thorough map of the key business processes that are essential for the operations of your organization, and using that throughout the ERP selection and implementation, will also negate risk. Essential elements to map out include integrations with other systems as well as necessary ERP customization for your organization.
Change management and end-user training are also key areas to plan for in order to avoid risk.
6. Scalability
consider how the technology fits with your business strategy both today and down the road. How will the software help facilitate and support future plans for your organization? Whether future plans include growth, new markets, merging with another entity, the new technology you select should mesh with the strategic direction of your organization.
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The Marketing Cloud
PERL Marketing Cloud
Marketing Cloud is technology that manages marketing processes and multi-functional campaigns, across multiple channels, automatically. With marketing cloud, businesses can target customers with automated messages across email, web, social, and text. Messages are sent automatically, according to sets of instructions called workflows. Workflows may be defined by templates, custom-built from scratch, or modified mid-campaign to achieve better results.
Marketing and sales departments use marketing automation to automate online marketing campaigns and sales activities to both increase revenue and maximise efficiency. When automation is used effectively to handle repetitive tasks, employees are free to tackle higher-order problems, and human error is reduced.
Marketing cloud is a set of tools designed to streamline and simplify some of the most time-consuming responsibilities of the modern marketing and sales roles. From automating the lead qualification process to creating a hub for digital campaign creation, automation is all about simplifying a business world that is growing far too complex, much too quickly.
Marketing cloud can also give you a richer, more detailed picture of potential customer behaviour.
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Digital Transformation
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new — or modify existing — business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This re-imagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation.
It transcends traditional roles like sales, marketing, and customer service. Instead, digital transformation begins and ends with how you think about, and engage with, customers. As we move from paper to spreadsheets to smart applications for managing our business, we have the chance to re-imagine how we do business — how we engage our customers — with digital technology on our side.
For small businesses just getting started, there’s no need to set up your business processes and transform them later. You can future-proof your organisation from the word go. Building a 21st-century business on stickies and handwritten ledgers just isn’t sustainable. Thinking, planning, and building digitally sets you up to be agile, flexible, and ready to grow.
The drivers in digitisation and digital transformation
Modern customer expectations are being driven by largely digital technology and digital innovations. The always-connected customer is always seeing new possibilities. When they see new things elsewhere, they want them from you, too. And if you can’t offer them, they’ll find someone else who can. The digitally connected world makes it easier than ever for customers to comparison shop and move from one brand to another, often with minimal effort required.
Digital innovation shapes business across all industries.
Digital transformation impacts every industry. Whether your business generates revenue through client services, digital media, or physical goods, technological innovations can transform your means of production, distribution, and customer service.
Depending on your business, your customer could be a consumer or a business-to-business (B2B) client. Let’s extend our perspective to also include your employees. As we’ll talk about in a moment, employee expectations are being driven by their own consumer experiences, particularly when it comes to digital innovation in the workplace.
Customers expect digital technology and innovation.
Today’s customers are connected and empowered by the digital era. They’re connected 24/7, and increasingly want and expect that same around-the-clock access to the companies they do business with. The key drivers behind this change in consumer behaviour? Mobile devices and social media.
Digital innovations are transforming industries
Employees aren’t the only ones benefiting from easy-to-use, always-on access to information in the workplace. Machines themselves are getting smarter, too. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud analytics, and sensors of all sizes and capabilities are transforming manufacturing, production, research — virtually all facets of business across all industries.
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