At Lorge we know how overwhelming it can be to select a project management and accounting system to handle your business processes, but we’re here to help!
Let’s start with a general understanding of what ERP software is. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is a powerful data management tool that enables your business to view, share and automate essential business activities. It encompasses a variety of software platforms that bring together customer relationship management, accounting, core HR, and supply chain management features together in a single unified software solution. By combining all the various software into one centralised location, you can streamline your operations with ease.
Due to the complexity and number of features available through ERP software it has typically been thought of as only accessible to large enterprise corporations, but this is a myth. Even small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from having an ERP system that expands and grows with them.
Deciding on which ERP systems is right for you can be a complex process, often filled with uncertainty and customisation requests. Getting a business partner, like Lorge, to partner with you so that they can help with implementation is common and more often than not, essential.
The real challenge isn’t finding an innovative ERP system but rather it’s about narrowing down your options to find a solution that fits your business’ core priorities and will effectively streamline your day-to-day work processes, follow regulatory standards and be scalable to the growth that your business will undoubtedly go through.
We’ve put together a few things to help you navigate this complex process and take your business from ordinary to extraordinary!
Benefits of an ERP system
Budgeting: With the right ERP software, you can achieve a holistic overview of your spending. This means you gain an accurate scope of where your budget is really being spent and ultimately you will be able to implement smarter budgeting to promote growth.
Communication: A good ERP system will act as a single source of data and information. So this is a unified solution that allows you to track and plan business operations. With real-time visibility of your operations, available at any time, to all team members you will be able to generate reports and analyse them in a holistic way to make better decisions for your growing business.
Financial Management: With ERP software you will get an overall view of your businesses financial wellbeing. There are integrated tools to help you track profit, providing you with a comprehensive cost analysis, determining the ROI for any purchases as well as showing you where profits are being generated. You will also be able to track invoices seamlessly, eliminating human errors such as disorganisation, lost paperwork and manual input.
Some questions to ask your potential business partner
- Can this system help increase productivity?
The right ERP system can help boost your productivity and increase efficiency through automation. This is because you reduce the time spent by your employees manually inputting data.
- What about the long-term functionality?
Your ERP system needs to be able to evolve and grow alongside your business. This means constant training and updates. So you want a business partner that will assist with long-term training and services, not only the initial sale and installation. Product training, technical support, ongoing maintenance and upgrades are all critical to any new software implementation.
- Is the latest and most innovative technology being used?
Your ERP software has the potential to be a powerful technological tool, so you want to implement the most innovative technology. You want technology that can evolve with your business so consider the usability, customizability and maintainability for your business, as well as future upgrades.
- Does this ERP software give you value for money?
The initial cost of an ERP can be quite a big investment for your company, so you want to make sure you’re making a return on investment. Evaluate the lifetime of the system and licensing. You also want to check up on the cost that may incur of additional products, services or training.
- Is risk managed with this solution?
With an investment like an ERP, you want risk to be minimised. Explore how the ERP minimises risk with regards to the security of your network and finances. Consider things like disaster recovery, deployment schedule and monthly costs.
Know your team
You want a business partner that is willing to empower and support you with a dedicated team. Your implementation team needs key players so that you can get the most out of your ERP system.
- Solution Engineer: The Solution Engineer is the custodian of quality control that should make your transitions smoother. They should be looking for opportunities to maximise efficiency by gathering information and analysing costs.
- Executive Sponsor: They are your primary point of contact for all strategic project issues, understanding the big picture goals but also the finicky details. They will be in charge to managing the delivery of all services and should be able to solve your most critical issues as they arise.
- Project Manager: The project manager deals with the day-to-day requirements. They schedule and manage tasks, as well as monitoring budgets. They are the team leader making sure everything stays on track.
- Project Team Members: Your company will have a project team and so too will the ERP business partner. They will be working closely together to implement your solution. You want a lead consultant to be present to oversee the configuration and that best practices are being used, as well as provide you with knowledge that supports setup and testing. You also want a lead developer on the team to assist with strategies, methodologies and approaches at your location.
So if you are looking for a business partner that has an implementation team that takes the time to see your business as unique and thus create custom solutions, look no further than Lorge. Our dedicated team will support you through implementation and provide future training where necessary. We are committed to our products and committed to making the changes your business needs to help it grow with the benefits of a good modern ERP solution. We provide long-term support and assistance while not exceeding the costs. Get in touch today to take your business from ordinary to extraordinary.
