Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software provides manufacturers with a single source of truth through which they can manage all of their foundational business processes. By replacing your own legacy applications with modern ERP solutions, your manufacturing business can maximize its productivity, optimize its efficiency, and gain a definitive advantage within its vertical.
However, before you can reap the benefits of ERP software, you must first overcome several common implementation challenges. To help you navigate these obstacles, we have identified five such challenges and provided practical tips for overcoming them below:
Challenge 1: A Lack of Clearly Defined Goals
Finding the right ERP software for your manufacturing business seems like the natural first step in your implementation journey, but in reality, “Step One” involves defining your “why” first.
In other words, you need to determine precisely why you want to implement an ERP solution in the first place and what you hope to accomplish by doing so. Without clearly defined goals, it will be difficult to identify the ideal platform for your business.
How to Solve It
Meet with your leadership team and have an honest conversation about your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Your goals should center around magnifying your strengths and shoring up any shortcomings. Once you know what you hope to achieve, you can search for an ERP solution that fully supports these goals.
Challenge 2: Selecting the Wrong Platform
Due to the costs associated with licensing, implementing, and maintaining software, it is vital that you choose the right ERP platform the first time around. Choose wrong, and you will likely be stuck with an overly expensive and frustratingly ineffective solution for quite some time.
How to Solve It
Carefully weigh your options and thoroughly research each prospective solution before committing to any one platform. If vendors offer demonstrations, take advantage of these opportunities to compare the pros and cons of multiple platforms.
Consider factors like usability, short and long-term costs, scalability, and whether the solution has tools that are purpose-built for manufacturers (BOM, MRP, and more). Well-rounded solutions like Acumatica check all of the boxes for manufacturers, as it is cost-effective, feature-laden, and remarkably user-friendly.
For more check out our guide Navigating ERP Selection and Implementation: A 5-Step Process.
Challenge 3: Subpar Team Buy-in
If your current system is viewed as “good enough,” many of your line-level and mid-level team members may be resistant to making a software change. Nevertheless, it is vital that you have buy-in at every level of your organization if you want to achieve a strong return on investment.
How to Solve It
Get your team involved early and often. Before you start your search for new ERP software, host a meeting with mid-level management and explain why you are considering making a change. Give them an opportunity to bring the news to their teams and ask them to solicit feedback. Making your staff feel heard will go a long way in optimizing buy-in.
Challenge 4: Data Sprawl
ERP software is supposed to represent a fresh start for your business, and in order to make the most of your new investment, you must ensure that you bring over high-quality data from your existing systems while omitting any duplicate or error-laden files. The process, however, can prove difficult when your data is scattered across multiple disparate systems.
How to Solve It
As you begin your implementation process, conduct a data audit. Identify where your data is located and begin cleaning it, deleting duplicate files, correcting incomplete files, and resolving any errors.
Challenge 5: Inadequate IT Expertise and Support
Even if you thoroughly prepare for your ERP software implementation, be prepared for a time-consuming and labor-intensive endeavor. To see it through, you’ll need plenty of IT support, but unfortunately, many organizations lack the internal IT bandwidth to successfully manage an implementation on their own.
How to Solve It
Partner with a third-party implementation services provider like Advanced Solutions and Consulting (ASC). At ASC, we can augment the capabilities of your internal team or take the lead on your implementation journey. Our scalable support will take the hassle out of your ERP implementation so that you can enjoy a strong ROI and condensed time to value.
Learn more in Simplifying IT Management: How Acumatica Cloud ERP Can Help.
Simplify Your ERP Implementation Journey With ASC
With Acumatica Manufacturing Edition, you can integrate production planning and the shop floor with customer management, sales orders, inventory, purchasing, accounting, and financial reporting to provide real-time coordination of activities across your entire business.
Advanced Solutions and Consulting provides end-to-end Acumatica ERP software implementation services for manufacturing companies. From consolidating your data to providing post-deployment support, we set the stage for a frictionless Acumatica implementation journey. To learn more, connect with ASC today, and let’s discuss your manufacturing company’s technology needs.
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