Your ERP Implementation: What it has
in common with
Open Heart Surgery

Across the entire Supply Chain: Your ERP System is the Heart of your Company…

Even if it may sound absurd at first and a connection is difficult to imagine: the implementation of an ERP solution can be compared to open heart surgery. You’re probably wondering how we came up with this comparison!

Once you have implemented your new software solution, it will be the heart of your company. It will play a central role in your organization.

…and directly determines the Success of your Company

Your ERP system manages the most important master and transaction data and serves as a “hub” for a large part of your applications. In the past, these solutions concentrated primarily on classical financial accounting. However, they now map the central departments of your entire supply chain - from purchasing to human resources and sales through to manufacturing control and logistics.

Just like the heart in the human body, the ERP system pumps essential components through the entire company: namely accurate and up-to-date data. So it has a direct influence on your success - and thus ultimately on the survival of your company.

ERP Implementation: Open Heart Surgery

Just as open heart surgery is a major intervention in the human body, the introduction of new ERP software interferes with the fundamental structure of your company.

Both “projects” can nowadays be carried out without any problems - and yet every time they are critical. Even though medicine is now very advanced, this does not mean that every surgeon has all the necessary skills. During the operation, the heart must continue to beat without interruption and the procedure must be successful at the first attempt. Because there is no second or even third chance.

And not every ERP vendor has the required skills to successfully implement it. During implementation, the existing processes in your company must continue to run without interruption. If something goes wrong here, most companies cannot afford a second attempt.

Saving at the wrong End can be expensive

For this reason, the success or failure of your ERP project depends very much on how and how carefully your implementation partner works. It is amazing how carelessly companies handle this important process. Many companies simply cannot resist the temptation to “suppress” the importance of quality.

As soon as discounts are offered, they have “dollar signs in their eyes”. They seem to make friends with any consultant as long as their fee is low enough. And they end up commissioning a partner for their software implementation who makes no or very low demands on the quality and availability of their employees.

In Preparation for your ERP Project: these Questions will help you make Decisions

If you not only want to save costs, but also have demands on the quality of the implementation of your new solution, you need to prepare thoroughly. Here are some questions you should ask yourself in advance:

1. Which implementation partner promises the highest success rates?

2. Who can demonstrate the required experience? On the one hand, experience with the software solution and on the other hand with the industry of your company.

3. Which partner can explain to you in detail which tasks and responsibilities you need to take on yourself for your project?

4. How can you best prepare your company for these measures?

5. And which partner is able to successfully implement the organizational changes?

A big Change for your Employees

Speaking of change: try to take the perspective of your employees. For them, the ERP implementation is a major change - this is especially true for long-standing employees who have been used to the old structures for ages. This often leads to uncertainty, doubt and frustration which need to be averted in order to prevent your employees from developing resistance to change and “rebelling”.

The more digital you work in the company, the higher the degree of transparency - another aspect that many employees initially struggle with. Show them the advantages of transparent processes to scare away the specter.

Change Management: 10 Classic Myths
you should dispel

Choose your Implementation Partner carefully - and take a close Look at the Implementation Team

To find the right implementation partner, you don’t necessarily need a traditional tender process. Instead, use some basic criteria as a guide.

Also, don’t make a decision until you’ve spoken to the potential project manager in person! At the same time, however, you should also agree to your implementation partner scrutinizing the suitability of your employees for the tasks ahead. There must be a basis of trust here.

An eternal Dilemma: Quality and Costs

Of course, you need to make sure that you don’t mindlessly exceed your budget during the course of the project, but at the same time remember: “Saving in the wrong place can be expensive.”

An ERP implementation is a serious investment. Thus, you should never forget that the joy of a cheap implementation quickly goes once the headache of poor quality has become chronic. This also damages the health of your company.