So, you have decided an ERP system is right for your business – but how do you go about actually implementing it? To begin with, it’s important to establish a set of objectives. These can be a mixture of short and long-term that will help to provide a measure of what success looks like, once the implementation is being carried out.
Every business’ data and requirements are different, which brings its own set of challenges with it, but the beauty of ERP is the flexibility and bespoke elements that can mould a system to your business’ needs.
For example, you might be a manufacturing company that allows its customers to log-on via a portal to order products from you. Now, an ERP system can be optimised so that as soon as the customer order is fulfilled in a warehouse, the stock levels for that item are automatically updated. As soon as stock levels get low, the item can be re-ordered, again autonomously, to ensure that stock remains healthy – especially helpful during busy periods of trade.
It also needs to be considered which of your business’ existing data needs to be migrated over to a new ERP system. If you’ve been operating the way you have done, then there will be data that needs to be cleansed. This is not an easy task, and in some businesses there may be a large number of documents that feature duplicated data within them.
Deciding which data is to be retained and migrated, and which data is unnecessary is extremely important. Get it right and it will ensure the new ERP system is streamlined, making the necessary data available in a centralised location. This will feed itself throughout the entire business, leading to less duplication and more joined-up data being shared throughout the organisation.
How you wish your data to be formed and structured ultimately comes down to the way your business operates. As mentioned before, the beauty of Business Central is the ability to be flexible. You will not have to rip up your existing way of working and start again, but there will need to be an openness to some change. A business implementing ERP is doing so to improve and expand, to look forwards rather than backwards, and to do this often there is some change necessary. Thought will need to go into how the data to be migrated will need to displayed and used, and if that needs to change from the existing structure – this is an opportunity to set your business up for success for years to come, it’s important to get it right.
And, finally, you can gain a preview into what the future of your business’ ERP system will look like. In building a Test Environment, you’ll be able to see if your system will be fit for purpose. It can provide an opportunity to incorporate any further features or data you might have in mind, that might improve the system, taking it up the next level. Or it could solidify the business’ view that this system is right for them – which can help convincing colleagues that the change they will see in their roles is for the greater good of the business.
If you wish to explore an ERP implementation for your business, please contact Neuways on 01283 753333 or email hello@neuways.com.
