6 key steps for ERP selection success

Ensure your ERP journey is the right one with this guide provided by Enapps.

1. Consider an ERP consultant

ERP systems support small businesses that want to streamline their processes and people while taking advantage of new opportunities as they arise.

A consultant will guide you through many of the pitfalls and make sure that you are not being overcharged by sanity checking the ERP vendor proposals. They will also chair your vendor meetings, make sure you get answers to the right questions and generally steer you in the right direction.

Our only caveat is that you make sure that your consultant is truly independent. The best ERP implementation for your business requires a level playing field for all ERP vendors.

2. Do your homework

By this, we mean research the potential ERP developers that you are considering.

Ask yourself questions like:
– Have they ever failed in delivering an ERP implementation?
– Am I buying a ‘brand name’ just because they ‘sound good’?
– Can I visit one of their existing clients to see how they are getting on?
There are many more questions you can ask within this area. Take time to research, generate questions and get answers.

3. Analyse your own business needs

Involve your whole company in this process and ask them to prioritise required
functionalities according to their importance and frequency of use.

You may want to make a list that includes the following criteria: ‘must-have’ functionalities, features that need to be implemented immediately, and features that you want in the future.

4. Clarify overall cost

Make sure that you know exactly what you are paying and what you expect to get for the price.

The price should include:

  • ERP software (all qualified software modules for the implementation)
  • Services (implementation services such as configuration, customisation and training)
  • A projection of monthly ongoing costs (licensing and support etc.)

As Enapps is modular and operates a SaaS monthly pricing model, our customers only pay for what they need. New features and functions can be added when the time is right and our costs are clear, enabling our clients to prepare and budget for new capabilities and implement when ready. This system avoids any hidden costs at a later stage of the project and is crucial in preventing ‘bottomless pit’ or surprise project costs.

5. Prepare for ERP implementation

Identify someone within your organisation who will be the ‘go-to’ person for the ERP implementation.

Ensure this person is allocated the time to deliver the required ERP support for both internal and external contacts. This will create a much smoother environment for project delivery.

If you cannot identify an internal person then consider getting an external contractor to manage the ERP project until it goes live.

6. Ongoing support and development

Make sure you know how ongoing support is going to be provided, what it covers, costs and if it is delivered by your ERP solution provider.

Is it covered as part of your monthly costs? Since customer requirements can develop, a company may need slight changes or completely new functionalities and features after the ‘Go Live’ stage. Enapps cover all hosting, maintenance and bug fixing as part of the monthly costs and custom ERP changes are charged at a similar daily rate to the implementation (support hours) or are covered in one of our monthly support packages.

ERP selection success

These 6 simple steps make all the difference

1. Do your homework
2. Clarify the overall cost
3. Ongoing support and development
4. Consider an ERP consultant
5. Analyse your own business needs
6. Prepare for ERP implementation

https://enapps.co.uk/

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