Selecting and deploying an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can be an expensive proposition for your company. You incur costs not just for the software license, but also for SLAs and dedicated resources that help you maintain the software and get the most out of your license. This makes getting approval for a new system, a tentative affair at the boardroom level.
However, the benefits to a robust ERP system like IFS for the enterprise can far outweigh the initial cost of deployment. The correct ERP software will help you streamline operations, provide user-friendly functionalities, and be able to offer real-time visibility of your business processes at any time on any device, anywhere. Your ERP platform should also be secure and adaptable to your business needs.
Tips to Selecting and Deploying the Correct ERP
Using our extensive expertise of helping dozens of organizations around the world select and deploy an ERP system successfully, here we list a few tips on how to choose an ERP software and successfully deploy it.
Tip-1) Make an extensive list of your specific requirements before you start evaluating vendors. This will help you spend only on the features or licenses you need, and not spend on features you will never use.
Tip-2) Keep mobility in mind. Even if you haven’t whole-heartedly embraced mobility-first methodologies like BYOD yet, at the rate technology is progressing, be sure you will have to at some point.
Tip-3) Evaluate the number of customizations you might need. Various businesses have various unique requirements that might require you to modify the original suite to meet your needs. Ideally though, you should select a suite that offers an extensive list of modules without needing to customize heavily, but also provide customization as an option, like the benefits of IFS ERP.
Tip-4) Build a robust team of experts around your ERP deployment. You can either do this in-house or can outsource the burden to an implementation partner or managed services provider (MSP). MSPs like us here at ProV, already have the necessary tools and resources to ensure a successful deployment in the shortest possible time, and can also help you support operations post going live.
Steps to a Successful ERP Deployment
Once you’ve put in the time to select the correct software and implementation partner, ERP deployment usually consists of the following steps:
Step-1) Define the scope of requirement, viz. want, ideation, scope of project
Step-2) Develop a plan-of-action that defines the processes required to complete the work and measure progress
Step-3) Build and analyze the processes using the requirements gathered in the previous steps. Tweak and take corrective measures until aligned with the organizational business needs
Step-4) Conduct stabilization tests on built processes before going live, to ensure the smoothest possible roll-out
Step-5) Deploy the suite in a production environment and go live
Step-6) Define and follow-up with post go-live support and processes for optimal adoption and usage
Feeling confident about investing in a new ERP system? ProV offers one of the best IFS Applications pricing and provide best-in-class services for IFS implementations, IFS software support, and IFS customizations for IFS ERP. We are a multiple award-winning partner for IFS products and services that help simplify implementation, integration, update, or customization of your software when you need it most. Take our FREE Consultation today to get started!