4 Reasons Your Company Needs an ERP Consultant
When the pain of disorderly manufacturing operations becomes more intolerable than the price of a major software overhaul, it’s time to take the leap and invest in an Enterprise Resource Planning system. This is no small expense, and it can be tempting to try to limit costs by performing the implementation on your own. Here are four major reasons why hiring an implementation consultant could actually save you a lot more money in the long run:
Your Enterprise Resource Planning system is so much more than just new software.
ERP is the sophisticated central nervous system of your manufacturing operation. A holistic, process-driven approach to implementation ensures that you’ll get the most value out of your ERP investment. An experienced industry professional can help you keep the big picture in mind throughout the entire implementation process. Importantly, they’ll also serve as the bridge between your operations and the technical backend, translating your business strategies into a powerful software advantage.
2. ERP implementation is a rare chance to reshape your processes for the future.
There’s no better time to revisit your operational flow than during an ERP implementation. Instead of superimposing a shiny new software system over clunky, outdated processes, a professional consultant helps companies develop new pathways to efficiency that weave seamlessly into ERP. Struggling with, say, your company’s ability to consistently maintain appropriate inventory levels? A good consultant will help you develop both a business strategy for improvement, and the software processes needed to make it flow with ease.
3. An investment this significant deserves extra protection and enhancement.
A lot can go wrong during an ERP implementation, from inaccurate inventory and parts list creation, to failing to secure employee buy-in, to chaotic disruption that drags out much longer than it needs to. Consultants help prevent these problems and more, acting as insurance that your investment will pay off. It’s painful to imagine the possibility of failure with something as expensive as ERP, but if it can happen to multi-billion dollar international corporations, it can happen to you—and just about anything you can do to prevent this outcome is worth the extra cost.
4. Companies need a clear vision to rally behind when facing a change this monumental.
You’ve just made one of the most significant investments of your business’s lifetime. How will you know what success looks like? An ERP consultant crafts both the big-picture vision to get your entire team excited, and the tangible metrics that will get you to the finish line. Without those things to ground you, your company runs the risk of getting caught in a floating stasis, unsure of whether the implementation can be called complete and operations are ready to transition entirely to the new system. Your consultant will minimize the time you spend on that precipice and hold your hand while you make the big leap, confident that it’s the right moment to do so.