How To Increase Profits With ERP
While the process of setting up ERP can be complex, the end results are relatively simple. The goal of a company who uses this system is to be more productive and efficient. By doing this, a company can improve its bottom line. However, many companies think that by simply jumping on the ERP bandwagon, they can gain an edge on their competition.
This is a misconception, and it has led to failure and disappointment for numerous organizations. It is important for companies to realize that ERP are tools that are designed to improve business processes. It is by no means a panacea. If you find that your ERP system is not successful, it is likely that your processes are to blame rather then the software itself.
If ERP systems are combined with high quality business processes, a company can see a great return on their investment. In order for this to occur, the ERP system must be implemented in conjunction with a BPO, or Business Process Optimization program. Most importantly, the future state of the system must be well defined. When this occurs, the goals of the company will be directly connected with those of the project. The business process will be altered in a way that will allow it to be efficient, and once this happens, the software can be correctly utilized. When the operation is done like this, the business process of the organizaion will prove, and they will see an improvement on their bottom line.
When a failure occurs with an ERP system, the company is quick to blame both the software and the vendor. However, this is a mistake. The reason I say this is because in most cases, the company did not have a strategic plan for implementing the software. Before you begin the process of building this software or finding a vendor, you must have a detailed plan of how it will be used. Not only must a company have a detailed plan on how they will use the system, but they must also be prepared for the changes that will occur because of its introduction. If your company has failed to successfully implement ERP, you will want to look at your own actions rather than those of the vendor. If you don’t do this, you are likely that repeat the same mistake over again in the future.
Because of the costs involved with implementing ERP, a failure to do it correctly the first time can reduce the funding that a company has, and it can weaken their ability to invest in future projects. There is a very important concept discussed in this article that everyone reading it must understand. If you do not understand this central concept, you will not be successful with ERP or other technologies that are designed to increase the productivity of your business. The central concept is this: No matter how much technology a company purchases, it cannot move forward as an organization if the humans that comrpise that organization do not change.
The ERP projects that become successful are those that are viewed in a realistic manner. The business process that it is designed for must be efficient, and the ERP system must be designed to extend it. The employees of the company must be properly trained to use this software, and they must understand the need for it. When the workers are presented with a new technology, many of them will wander why it is needed. Remember, humans are resistant to change.
You must educate them on why the technology can improve the current procedures that they are using. Enterprise Resource Planning is a tool, and like any tool, it must reinforce the new methods of operation. When this is done, the system will become much more efficient.
The costs involved with ERP are extensive. If a company is not able to define in detail how the technology will be used, and if they are not able to successfully encourage their workers to use it, this creates a situation where the company could lose a great deal of money on worthless project. Once these challenges can be overcome, the company will be able to use ERP in a way that will allow them to increase their revenues.
