Creating a future-oriented ERP Wish List Why you
should leave
your Comfort Zone

Don’t (only) look to the Past

People naturally shy away from change because it is usually more or less uncomfortable. If you ask your colleagues what they want from a new system, you can expect to be presented with a list of existing functions. Perhaps with a few additional solutions to problems that have arisen in practice. After all, everything is working quite well, isn’t it? But when you put together such a package, you should of course not (exclusively) look back. You don’t just want to work with the new system for the next three months?

Creating the ERP Wish List takes Time

Compiling the right requirements and wishes for a new ERP system is an important and time-consuming task. The list is crucial because the requirements largely determine which solution you will ultimately work with. In addition, the wishes and requirements are often defined at (micro) detail level - which is also time-consuming.

Time: Why it's your
worst Enemy
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Thinking outside the Box to incorporate all Future Requirements

It’s about selecting a system that you will be working with in the next five to ten years. You should therefore also try to look into the future - and have the courage to think outside the box. What could become relevant in the future? Better communication with customers via WhatsApp? Faster deliveries with the help of drones? What is also always in demand is a lot of flexibility, with which you can quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

Get out of the Comfort Zone

You should take these three points into account when planning effective processes:

Take the Perspective of your current Customers

Talk to your most important customers and ask them about their medium-term plans. Make sure you also find out what they want from your company in the coming years. This approach will help you to think and act from the customer’s perspective. The perspective can provide additional inspiration for further process innovations.

Get the Opinion of your former Customers

You should also ask some of your former customers. This can certainly be a little uncomfortable. But this group in particular can give you especially honest feedback when it comes to complicated business processes, poor integration and bad internal communication.

Focus on the desired Results

Don’t just talk about detailed functions and features, but in particular about the desired results! For example, suppose you want to reduce the average term of your accounts receivable from 75 to 40 days. Then ask directly for the best, fastest and most efficient way to achieve this goal.

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Emerges outside the Comfort Zone: a well thought-out List of all Requirements and Wishes

As the business world is constantly changing, the requirements for your solution can also change again and again. A future-oriented ERP system should be able to adapt to such changes. This is precisely why it is important to choose a solution, a process structure and a corporate culture that are geared towards the future and what your customers expect from you. To achieve this, a well thought-out list of requirements and wishes is essential.

In order to create such an informative list, which is oriented towards future requirements, it is necessary that you mentally detach yourself from old processes and ways of thinking and, above all, not only orient yourself towards the functions of the old system. To do this, it is worth leaving your comfort zone. This enables a proactive approach.

All in all, by orienting your system towards the future, you ensure that your ERP system not only meets current needs, but also represents a strategic investment that offers long-term benefits and adaptability.