Erp Questions To Ask Ebook
Erp Questions To Ask Ebook
Erp Questions To Ask Ebook
Questions to Ask
When Purchasing
an ERP System
1
Introduction
But as the ERP system runs each area of a company, you must be extremely careful
that the ERP system you choose is the right one for their business. Otherwise, the wrong
choice could cause disjointed data and processes that disrupt supply and demand
chains, damage important customer relationships, and hurt the bottom line.
This ebook will delve into the important questions you need to ask during each stage of
the ERP search and evaluation process. It will help you understand what to look for when
choosing a partner, how to incorporate industry considerations in your search and how to
eventually implement and deploy an ERP system. Ultimately, this ebook will help guide
you toward selecting the ERP system that will best support – and evolve with – your
unique business.
TABLE OF
Contents
04 Choosing a Partner
06 Implementation
08 Post-Launch
16 Question Recap
18 Conclusion
19 Next Steps
3
Choosing a
Partner
Q UE S T ION S
A provider who has been delivering ERP systems for a large number of customers, over
the years, has the implicit knowledge and expertise that’s necessary for acquiring and
maintaining a significant customer base.
An ERP provider shouldn’t treat an ERP system as an add-on. Rather, ERP system
development and deployment should be a key pillar of their business. You want an ERP
provider who will take your implementation seriously.
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3 / How many clients are you currently supporting with this
ERP? Can we talk to an active customer in our industry
who’s using this solution?
An ERP provider’s customer base is a crucial indicator of a partner’s implementation
experience and system results. While projects can vary, if a provider has a track record
of unhappy customers, it’s likely they don’t have the expertise or the means to deliver a
smooth implementation.
Understanding the number of customers in your industry for whom a provider has
implemented (and still supports) is important because it validates the provider’s capacity
and resources, as well as their commitment to customer service. A partner with industry
experience will understand how your business works, the processes that are needed
to make it run successfully, and how their ERP system can best integrate into your
organization.
Determining the experience of the team that the ERP provider will dedicate to your
company will give you a better understanding of how your implementation will be
handled. If a provider is sincerely committed to your project’s success, they will provide
you with their A-team.
5
Implementation
Q UE S T ION S
6
4 / What happens if there are any problems during the imple-
mentation? Or if it runs long?
An ideal implementation would go smoothly at every step, with deliverables completed
perfectly and ahead of schedule, and the whole project running significantly under-
budget. But that’s not always the way it goes. Even if all the right pieces are assembled
at the right time, there’s always the possibility that an ERP implementation can get
disrupted by factors outside of a team’s control.
An ERP provider should offer a backup plan for addressing any contingencies, and
should communicate with you what you can expect in those situations. And if an
issue occurs that’s the fault of the provider – such as missing or lost data, or if their
deliverables are not being completed in time – they should let you know how they plan to
compensate you in those instances.
7
Post-Launch
Q UE S T ION S
8
3 / What
CHA L L Eis the
N GE S support plan? Who do we call if we have issues,
and what’s their expertise level?
How will your ERP provider help support and maintain your system after it goes live?
Different ERP hosting platforms present different levels of ERP engagement post-
implementation. For instance, on-premises ERP is primarily the responsibility of your
company to monitor and support, as the system is hosted on your company’s servers.
For Cloud ERP, the ERP provider is responsible for monitoring and fixing any issues as
they arise.
Being clear as to what you want your ERP provider’s role to be after implementation
finishes, and how you want them to be involved with your system, is important for
determining exactly who is accountable for keeping your system healthy and productive.
With an on-premises ERP, your company has full control over your system’s changes, but
that means that your company is liable for making any new updates or upgrades. Your
team must always be aware of new product releases, what they entail, and how they
would impact your business processes.
While Cloud ERP’s online infrastructure does not offer the same customizability as
on-premises, it allows updates to occur automatically. In addition, your ERP provider
manages the IT – it’s their job to make sure the latest ERP version is installed, and that
it’s running in tip-top shape.
9
Retail Specific
Questions
Q UE S T ION S
10
4 / How
CHA L Lwill
E N GEthis
S ERP system enhance the customer
shopping experience?
A customer-centric shopping experience is a differentiator. A mobile POS helps deliver
effective clienteling, enabling store associates to look up customer profiles, view past
purchases, and define customer needs and preferences. An ERP system that supports
this targeted, personalized customer engagement sets the stage for not only simply
meeting customer expectations but exceeding them.
11
Manufacturing
Specific Questions
Q UE S T ION S
12
3 / How will this ERP system manage our order-to-cash
CHA L L E N GE S
processes?
Manufacturers need end-to-end visibility for each stage of the sales process, from the
moment an order is placed to when the products are delivered. An ERP system that
provides automated workflows for efficiently processing and tracking each step – the
initial quote, to the sales order, to invoicing and payment, to shipping and delivery –
will save your company time, satisfy customers, and ensure your cash flow is always
on-target.
An ERP system that offers comprehensive reporting and analysis for an efficient and
secure procure-to-pay process minimizes risk and waste. Optimizing procurement with
user-friendly purchase requisition tools, a database of approved vendors for quicker
vendor selection, and a transparent record of open and past transaction histories, along
with vendor performance measurement, are crucial in reducing the time and resources
required to obtain the materials you need to move forward.
13
Architecture,
Construction, and
Engineering (AEC)
Specific Questions
Q UE S T ION S
1 / How will this ERP help manage our projects at each stage?
Project management is the backbone of an AEC company. Keeping tight control over the
many moving parts that comprise a project, as well as their different complexities, can
mean the difference between project success and failure. And too many failed projects
– projects that are over budget, over time, or not completed to a customer’s satisfaction –
create a reputation that’s extremely difficult for a company to shake.
An ERP system that delivers a centralized view into all of the different projects that your
team is working on will provide the visibility necessary for ensuring each stage of each
project is on track to meeting milestones. An ERP system that provides insight into the
work that has been completed and is currently in-progress, as well as the work you plan
to undertake in the next phase(s), will keep projects running smoothly and on-target.
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3 / How
CHA L Lwill
E N GEthis
S ERP system facilitate communication
between all project participants?
There are many different roles that work together to make a project successful. From
the workers performing the construction and engineering work; to the project manager
overseeing the job phases and the project as a whole; to the accounting team tracking
time and expenses, and completing billing and invoicing; to the company leadership that
steers business operations, and provides support and resources.
An all-in-one ERP system that delivers the visibility and functionality that each role needs
allows each role to connect and collaborate – ensuring that the right data is being
entered, processed, and analyzed by the right teams. Processes run effortlessly when
everyone can work seamlessly together, which prevents any misunderstandings that
delay schedules and resource deliveries.
15
Question Recap
Here’s a quick checklist recapping the important questions you should be asking when
you begin the process of searching for an ERP system:
1 Choosing a Partner
1. How long has your company been in business?
2. Is your company an ERP specialist?
3. How many clients are you currently supporting with this ERP? Can we talk to an active
customer in our industry who’s using this solution?
4. What’s the experience level of your implementation team? Do you have industry-
focused team members?
5. Why should a customer choose to work with your company rather than a competitor
offering the same or similar ERP system?
2 Implementation
1. How will your ERP system help us make better business decisions and generate more
revenue?
2. How long will it take to implement this software?
3. What implementation tasks are we responsible for, and what tasks will our
implementation partner be responsible for?
4. What happens if there are any problems during the implementation? Or if it runs long?
5. What is the plan for communicating work progress and deliverable achieved?
3 Post-Launch
1. What is the plan for training our users across departments?
2. How long will it take to get users fully trained?
3. What is the support plan? Who do we call if we have issues, and what’s their expertise
level?
4. How are regular software updates provided and deployed?
5. How does this system scale? Could we add new users or modules in the future if we
wanted to? If so, what would be their costs?
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4 Retail
1. What merchandising capabilities does this ERP offer?
2. How will this ERP deliver omni-channel management?
3. How does this ERP integrate with our POS?
4. How will this ERP system enhance the customer shopping experience?
5. How will this ERP help us measure and analyze store performance?
5 Manufacturing
1. How does this ERP system support our style of manufacturing?
2. How will this ERP system deliver supply and demand chain transparency?
3. How will this ERP system manage our order-to-cash processes?
4. How will this ERP system manage our purchase orders?
5. How will this ERP system manage our warehouse and fulfillment operations?
6 Post-Launch
1. How will this ERP help manage our projects at each stage?
2. How will this ERP support resource tracking and scheduling management?
3. How will this ERP system facilitate communication between all project participants?
4. How will this ERP system support mobility?
5. How will this ERP system deliver equipment management?
17
CO N C L U S ION
An ERP system that unifies management of the data, people, and processes that your
companies relies on is essential for keeping each facet of the business well-integrated
and running smoothly. But trying to find that all-in-one, cost-effective ERP system that
delivers on this promise can be overwhelming.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations is the new answer to this challenge. Dynamics
365 for Operations helps organizations connect financial, HR, production, and supply
chain management while also enabling improved efficiencies across procurement and
sourcing, retail, project management, and accounting all in one system.
The purpose-built flexibility and ease-of-use of Dynamics 365 for Operations enables
you to tailor your ERP system with the applications that will make your employees
more productive and efficient. Built-in data analysis tools – such as Microsoft Power
BI, Cortana Intelligence, and Azure Machine Learning – allow you to examine current
business initiatives and see how they measure against your goals.
With Dynamics 365, your company benefits from a crystal-clear vision into operations,
accelerating strategic business planning and development, and driving company
growth.
An ERP project requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources at each
stage of the process – from search and evaluation, to implementation, to go-live, to post-
implementation support. But when it’s the right fit for your business, it delivers a powerful,
agile technological foundation for taking your business into the future.
18
Next Steps
Don’t miss out on the crucial collaboration, data organization and data analysis
opportunities that an ERP system offers.
19