Software Customization
and Flexibility Finding the Perfect Balance

Companies must be able to react Flexibly to Change

In times of constant change, it is particularly important for companies to remain flexible and adaptable. A highly individualized ERP solution can become an obstacle to this: it limits the ability to react quickly to new customer requirements and can therefore inhibit company growth. At the same time, change is inevitable - but how do you strike the right balance?

ERP Requirements and Technical Commitment: a Balancing Act

When defining the functional and technical requirements for an ERP selection process, you must always take into account the necessary organizational changes. As a general rule: the more freedom you give your team to focus on desired functions, the more customization requests you can expect.

Of course, this has a clear advantage: with a highly customized solution, your company can stick to its usual way of working and does not have to make any major changes. It remains in the comfort zone. However, the customizations often lead to you building up a “technical debt” from day one. In other words, you create a solution that fits well today, but can slow down innovation in the future.

There are also other disadvantages of customizing:

• Less flexibility
• Growing dependence on the vendor
• High costs for acquisition and maintenance

Adapting your Company to the Standard: Long-term Benefits

The alternative is to adapt your company, your processes and your mindset to the standard of your preferred software solution. Modern systems include stable and well-developed business processes that are successfully used by many (tens of) thousands of companies every day. Switching to these standard processes is certainly more attractive in the medium to long-term than re-automating your current, often outdated processes.

Customization vs. Standard Software: Why you can
minimize your Project Risks
with an Out-of-the-box Solution

Leaving the Comfort Zone and investing in the Future

For the vast majority of companies, this alternative means that they have to leave their comfort zone. They have to temporarily bite the bullet. 🍎 With a clear mandate for managers! Because they bear the responsibility not only to initiate change, but also to consistently drive it forward and support it. This role requires courage, stamina and the ability to promote willingness to change in the team. This also means openly addressing uncertainties, taking resistance seriously and at the same time focusing on the opportunities.

Modernizing your company, your business processes and often your corporate culture is hard work for everyone. With this approach, you are aiming for success and return on investment in the medium to long-term. And the challenges during implementation should be seen as an investment in the future of your company and your employees.