Implement Your ERP The Right Way to Boost your Company’s Efficiency

Running a business isn’t always easy, especially when there’s a lack of communication and no system in place to monitor data from your operations – problems all too common with legacy systems. The sooner businesses address these issues the better, and that means making sure whatever Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution you choose can support your business now, and in the future. Having the right solution in place will be the best way to ensure you’re able to keep meeting your goals.

Across industries, modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations have become increasingly common. According to Deloitte, nearly 53% of IT executives say that effective Cloud ERP implementation is their top priority. A recent report from Allied Market Research expects the global ERP market to reach $117.09 billion by the end of 2030.

In this post, we touch on the importance of implementing a modern ERP – like Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 products – the right way, and what they bring to the table.

Properly Implementing a Modern ERP

It’s true that modern ERP solutions like Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management open businesses to more possibilities. Microsoft’s ERP solutions offer Direct integration to Office products, enhanced collaboration, advanced analytics designed to generate actionable insights and boost efficiency, and more.

Often forgotten though is making sure you’re able to properly implement a chosen solution – and this means collaborating with a Partner that understands the needs of your industry.

Important benefits of working with an ERP implementation partner include:

Fully streamlined and automated processes

With older systems, manual task allocation, tracking, and monitoring are becoming tougher and tougher as the system generates more data for every transaction. As workflows become more complex, organizations are finding themselves having to make significant investments to keep them up to date.

Microsoft’s D365 can automate and standardize even the most complicated workflows in the name of efficiency.

Reduced cost

According to Deloitte, as much as 22% of operational cost savings happens with Microsoft ERP implementations. This has both a direct and indirect impact on overheads.

With powerful automation features you can streamline the way you schedule your resources. Microsoft’s D365 can easily automate critical jobs like task allocation, traceability, report creation. This automation results in fewer errors and a reduced need for human intervention. This results in a reduced need for organizations to invest in third-party monitoring and optimization solutions.

Centralized data

Older, legacy solutions with siloed applications are a huge hindrance to modern performance. This leads to excessive back and forth just to access the right data. This can be tough for any team, with the lack of instantly accessible data hampering performance and the ability to make quick decisions.

Advanced ERPs like Microsoft Dynamics 365 give users immediate access to critical data without additional effort or wasted time. All critical data is available from one single platform where your teams have access to whatever they need.

Performance monitoring and Real-time collaboration

Being able to continuously find and resolve issues is a crucial part of organizational growth. Microsoft’s D365 provides an extensive 360-degree view of tasks and workflows that allows organizations to easily generate reports with actionable insights.

Teams that stay connected remain result driven. A proper ERP implementation means everyone in your organization will have access to performance data in interactive reports that users can share with other stakeholders. Your users can share data, discuss goals, plan strategies, and work more efficiently with other departments.

Improved flexibility

D365 gives businesses the flexibility to quickly adapt to any changes in market demand. This includes the ability to update workflows as needed, allowing them to scale as your business grows.

This is highly dependent on your partner’s understanding of your industry and how your software is set up.

Best practices, reducing failures

A report from Deloitte revealed that nearly 55-75% of all ERP implementation efforts result in failure, citing poor system selection, incompetent data migration, and lack of implementation best practices – all related to your implementation partner.

To reduce the chance of failure and increase the possibility for success in any ERP implementation means following best practices:

Identify your ERP implementation objectives

Before starting any ERP implementation project, it’s important to have a good understand of the following:

• Why do you need a new ERP? What is your proposed timeline?
• Will your new ERP need additional customizations?
• What functionality is critical to your business?
• What kind of downtime can you afford?
• What is the budget for your ERP implementation?

Selecting an ERP that aligns best with your goals

You wouldn’t wear dress shoes to a construction job, would you? The growing ERP market has different solutions available, each with its own specific features. Make the wrong choice and you could be stuck with that solution for years and years – this is where an experienced partner would be able to guide you in the right direction.

For example, you may be leaning towards a lower-cost option, but is that solution scalable? Does it include access to everything you need, or will it require a significant investment to customize?

Microsoft has gone to lengths to ensure their Dynamics 365 ERP is a perfect fit for different enterprise types, combining CRM (Customer Relations Management), accounting, finances, marketing, planning, supply chain management, and more, unlike lesser ERPs.

Migrate data with utmost diligence

Lost, misplaced, or duplicated data is another major cause of failed ERP implementations. Even a single piece of critical data can lead to expensive fines, damage to a business’s reputation, or worse. This is exactly why following best practices for migrating customer data is so important.

Data integrity should be at the top of the list in any ERP implementation.

Prioritize training

You may have worked with a certain ERP in the past giving you a clear understanding of how it works – but not everyone has had the same experiences. This is precisely where Change Management comes in. Even if your chosen solution seems easy to use, your team needs to be comfortable with its capabilities, and this means making sure sufficient, ongoing training are part of the plan for any implementation.

If your users don’t receive the training necessary to complete their work in the new ERP system, you’ll never be able to achieve the results you’re after.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, there’s a lot that goes into making sure your ERP implementation goes according to plan. Make the wrong choice and your business is stuck with inefficient or sub-par functionality that requires heavy customization or the added cost of third-party addons – an expensive decision.

The best way to ensure you make the best choice the first time around is teaming with a partner that’s been there before.

Experienced ERP partners will understand best practices for your industry and which solutions make the most sense. They’ll work with you to optimize your ERP implementation according to your needs, giving you the best chance for success and long-term enjoyment of a scalable solution.

contact us today to see how we can help.