When embarking on an ERP implementation, companies invest valuable resources to ensure its success. Indeed, an ERP project requires time and money to find the solution that will best meet the needs of the company. The challenge is to adopt the best approach to avoid errors when deploying the new business management system. In order not to be mistaken, it is therefore necessary to study in detail the solutions available on the market and to be attentive to the limits of each system. Here are the 7 steps to follow for a successful ERP deployment!
ERP deployment: 7 steps to follow to avoid errors
1, Have an overview and a clear understanding of the strategic objectives of the ERP project
It is above all the scope of the ERP project within the company that will determine the needs it will have to meet and the resources necessary for its realization. Therefore, the first step to avoid making mistakes is to analyze the company’s objectives and ensure that the ERP strategy revolves around them. To do this, the project leaders must, from the outset, define clear expectations and ensure that everything is documented in specifications.
2, Plan ERP deployment to optimize business processes
The ERP specifications will be the document on which the expectations of each service concerned by the project will be precisely noted. Because an ERP is a complex software, which needs time to integrate into the company, it is important not to skip the steps. For the implementation of the software to be a success, it will be necessary to allow enough time for each of them, to prioritize the needs and to manage the schedules rigorously.
3, Involve the whole team in the ERP project
The team in charge of the ERP project must be made up of the most qualified key employees of the company, the famous “key users”: in particular a project manager responsible for ensuring overall management. The internal resources involved must have the ability to understand the overall requirements of the company, and be committed to assuming significant responsibility and decision-making power. It is also essential that the team in charge of the project consult each department of the company concerned by the future ERP, in order to know their specific needs.
4, Determine a budget for the deployment of the ERP
The implementation of an ERP system will entail more or less significant costs depending on the solution chosen. Software license or subscription fees, system support expenses, training and integrator costs… so many costs that can quickly add up. All the immediate and future costs related to the implementation of the ERP must therefore be added together in order to establish the fairest possible budget. An ERP project requires a substantial budget, and a lack of resources should not interrupt it. In addition, the hosting system of the solution can also have a significant impact on the total price of the ERP plan. Saas management and planning software, hosted on the Cloud, for example, will prove to be less expensive to use than an on-premise solution, hosted on site. With SaaS, in fact, the service provider takes care of everything: no need to develop, buy, distribute and manage software. This allows ERP SaaS suppliers to offer fixed and fully controlled prices.
5, Evaluate the different ERPs available on the market to choose the best
On-premises systems, industry or trade-specific solutions, cloud-based SaaS software… the choice is vast when it comes to ERP. It is this diversity of products that makes the benchmark an essential step in the choice of an ERP. The market study will make it possible to find the ERP offering the best compromise between the functional scope, the durability of the solution and the integrator, the price, the level of service and the quality of the assistance offered. Among the various existing ERPs, software as a service (SaaS) remains the most advanced, since its operation is based on the most recent technology. Cloud-based, ERP SaaS is mobile and has multi-user access: an internet connection is enough to use the service anywhere and anytime.
6, Choose an ERP solution capable of evolving with the company
One of the essential success factors for the optimization phase of the ERP project is the comparative evaluation of the performance of the different systems. Because all companies are bound to evolve, the project leaders will have to take a close interest es to the scalability of the chosen solution. The ERP project does not stop after the installation of the solution. There will, indeed, always be improvements to be planned after the implementation, in order to increase the advantages that the ERP brings to the company. In this sense, a SaaS ERP software is an excellent solution. Most SaaS services can scale according to business needs, making them very cost effective and flexible. In addition, from SMEs to large groups, they have the particularity of being suitable for all sizes of business.
7, Call on a reliable partner for the implementation of the ERP plan
The implementation of a new ERP is an important project in the life of a company during which it is important to be guided. To monitor the progress of the project calmly and benefit from quality support, it is essential to collaborate with an experienced partner. To obtain the best results: the ideal remains to call on a supplier with an excellent knowledge of the business gestures of the company.
Pioneer of Cloud ERP in Europe, since 2004, the ERP supplier Archipelia offers its customers SaaS business management software to manage all the processes of their company. Commercial management, supply chain management, production management, product information management or PIM, B2B and B2C omnichannel commerce, CRM, marketing, accounting… Everything is managed and accessible from a single platform. Archipelia is a 100% web solution available on all media (computer, tablet, smartphone) offering total mobility, with access to the software possible at any time and anywhere. Do you want to embark on an ERP project for your company? Ask for a demo!