Choosing the right ERP Software for your Organisation

Implementing a quality Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution can help a business make better decisions, minimise operational costs and deliver their goods or services on time, but the overriding aim is to give the customer what they want, when they want it.

Indeed, that should be the ultimate goal of any business, understanding that good customer service combined with the provision of superior products and services leads to sustained loyalty and a high proportion of repeat business.

However, finding the right ERP solution for your enterprise can be a complicated process but the choice should be taken on a consensus basis. When eventually implemented throughout the business ERP software will require the buy-in of all departments, so co-opting knowledgeable representatives from each department to help decide which software will do the best job is a good and maybe even necessary strategy.

Indeed, if you are a business owner resist the temptation to give the job of sourcing ERP software to the head of IT. The most effective ERP solutions require the organisation to act as an entity and not be silo-based, so by constructing a project team that has the authority to select and recommend purchase of a particular solution, the concept of departmental co-operation is established from the beginning. Also, by drawing departmental experts together it ensures that the expertise and knowledge necessary to successfully implement ERP will all be in the same room. Any decision reached will be by consensus and therefore everyone on the team will have a vested interest in ensuring that the implementation is successful.

Before even considering which ERP software packages may be suitable, the first step is to set clear business objectives. Look at the overall picture rather than concentrate on operational minutiae. For example, providing customers with accurate delivery dates is focusing on what you want to achieve. By determining your collective vision you will also establish a series of goals that will be fundamental to the continuing success of the business. Not only will that internally focus what is important for business success, but it will also provide a blueprint for what is required from the ERP software.

The next step is to identify the technical requirements of the software. Identify which IT platform is best for its operation, establish the number of likely users and of course determine the budget for the purchase or leasing cost. Bear in mind that to be effective any ERP software solution should also be scalable, and not constrain any future business expansion.

Once you have identified your clear company goals, the ERP software technical requirements and its overall budget then you can start to approach vendors and start negotiations!

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

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