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Within this installment of the O2 Forum Newsletter we'll break down the process of selecting ERP software for your business!
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ERP software is the largest IT investment made by most growing manufacturers and distributors. The software lays the foundation on
how information will be captured, processed and reported while also being the center for the majority of the SOPs. However, ERP selection
can be quite challenging for the decision makers because of the multitude of choices, features and price points.
Are team members manually entering repetitious data or looking through multiple software programs to access data? Are there bottlenecks
on your IT network throughout the business day? Are decisions made off assumptions versus quantitative reports? These are just some of
the common challenges of a poorly selected and implemented ERP, which robs the business of time and money.
Here are 5 steps to simplify ERP selection:
- Review your current software/ERP - Read the manual. Find out the capabilities and features of your current system.
- Define the business requirements - Gather the business requirements with your team members; understand and share the "why" for the
selection exercise and what is exactly needed from your teams. Define minimum features and functionalities such as item tracking, currency
conversion, unit of measure, multi-location, e-commerce and barcode/wireless capabilities.
- Research options - Ask partners, find industry standards, read online reviews on the different ERP options after you understand your
business requirements. Remember, inquire about the pricing model, open source availability, expandability/upgrade abilities and technical support.
- Implement and test - Allocate resources and time for implementation and testing before the launch as no ERP is going to fit your business
out of the box. This is the step that most businesses miscalculate during budgeting and actually consumes the largest monetary investment due to
custom programming or tailoring, which can run multiples of the actual software investment.
- Training the team members - Educate the team on the final ERP decisions and results. Develop SOPs to help them understand how to use the ERP
and how their actions will impact other business areas.
Remember, the ERP can be used as a powerful tool assisting in better decisions and helping the team work together. This is just another step in building a foundation to optimize Operations and Supply Chain.
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About Chuglobal
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About The O2 Forum
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Richard Chu is the CEO of ChuGlobal a consulting firm in Marietta, GA. ChuGlobal works with growing manufacturers and distributors to increase bottom-line profits without touching Sales with guaranteed results. You can find more about them at
www.chuglobal.com or call 770-971-0021. |
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We are the premier business support organization focused on being the resource for manufacturers, distributors and organizations in Georgia.
We provide practical business solutions in Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Operations, IT, Organizational Development and Finance. |
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