Goal #3 in Selecting Your The Best Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) System: Take Action
The 10 Principles of Success
We continue to delve into the ERP Selection process with the 3rd Goal for Success: Take Action!
The 10 Principles of Success are:
1. How You Think is Everything!
- Always be positive.
- Think success not failure.
- Be aware of a negative environment.
2. Decide on What Your True Goals Are!
- Write down what your specific goals are.
- Write down a plan/time line in how to obtain your goals.
3. Take Action!
- Goals/Plans are nothing without action.
- Don’t be afraid to get started – “Just Do It”, it doesn’t need to be perfect to start, nothing ever is!
4. Never Stop Learning!
- Get on-going training so use to better your organization.
5. Persistence and Hard Work Pay-off!
- Success is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Never give up on the goal/plan that you created in number 3 above, original or revised!
6. Learn How to Analyze the Details!
- Get all the facts/input you can – Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus Your Time and Money!
- Don’t let other things and people distract you!
8. Don’t be Afraid to Innovate and Change – Be Different!
- Following the way that it’s always been done is a sure way to achieve nothing.
9. Communicate and Deal with People Effectively!
- Learn to understand what motivates the people you work with and what they need to be successful. No person is the organization or is indispensable.
10. Be Honest and Dependable!
- Take Responsibility – Otherwise 1 through 9 above won’t matter.
As a disclaimer, these 10 Principles of Success come from Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) newspaper aimed at helping stock market investors understand what good growth stocks to invest in, based on what the current overall market conditions are. EstesGroup believes that a company can apply these 10 Principles of Success to ERP systems; that is selecting, implementing and using them.
How does the 3rd Principle of Success apply to:
Choosing the Right ERP System for Your Business?
Principle # 3: Take Action!
It really is true, establishing Goals (as discussed in Principal #2) and doing nothing about it is discouraging, unproductive and quite frankly a waste of company time if you don’t take the next step and start reviewing ERP systems that are sold to your industry. Remember, the overall Goal of going through the process of selecting an ERP system is to be a better company.
So how do you start, if you have no idea of what ERP systems are available to review? The “Do It Yourself” answer is to Google ERP systems for whatever industry your company is in. Your search most likely will provide you with 4 to 5 names (if not more) of ERP systems that are sold to your industry. This isn’t a very sophisticated approach, but it’s a start that really doesn’t cost your company anything. What next, go through each and every ERP system website, carefully reading the information that’s provided, taking detailed notes along the way. Download whitepapers and literature as well as review any online webinars the ERP developers/publishers offer. By the end of this process (maybe a week or 2 at the most) you’ll have a pretty good idea of what ERP systems your company will want to start a detail review of. In doing your own ERP system research add to the “To Do” list to contact your industry trade associations to find out what other companies in your industry might be using or would recommend.
If you don’t like the “Do it Yourself” approach to selecting an ERP system or you don’t have anyone in your organization that has the time or inclination to do this type research, it’s time to think about hiring an independent ERP consulting company to help you. How do you go about selecting and hiring the right independent ERP consulting company to help you find the right ERP system? Same process as above, Google (Independent ERP Consultants), trade association(s), other businesses in your industry that you’ll be able to find some information. Once you have four to five names of consulting companies that you want to talk to, you’ll want to interview each of them. This will help you determine how well they know your industry, what ERP systems they might initially recommend, what their ERP system review process is, how much time and money it will cost and if they can provide you a few references of similar companies they’ve helped. Make sure they provide you with a written estimate of time, their rate, the specific review process they’ll be following (w/dates of completion) and whom from your organization they will need to involve (with the hours they will need them).
Now what? Take the written “Goals” (established for the 2nd Principle) and send it to the ERP Developer/Publisher(s) or Independent ERP Consultants you researched to get their overall written input on why they feel their system or service might be the right fit for your business. Again, there isn’t anything that magical that happens with this step other than if you don’t get any feedback from your request you know they aren’t interested in your business and you can concentrate on the ones that did respond.
The last basic “Take Action” steps at this point might be to simply a) establish a ballpark budget, put together your ERP system review team, establish a date for when you’d like to complete your ERP system review and start scheduling overview demonstrations with the ERP Developers/Publishers of choice (if you’re going to take the “Do It Yourself” approach).
If you feel your company needs to have your ERP system “GOALS List” reviewed or polished up for completeness prior to looking for your next (or first) system, you can always look at using a professional consulting organization (i.e. EstesGroup) that knows your industry and what GOALS your business should expect by using an ERP system. A hint in how EstesGroup accomplishes the GOAL setting process for selecting an ERP system revolves around our industry experience and how we conduct our Business Process Reviews. For more information on this, please leave your name and email address below and we’ll have one of our industry experienced sales people share that with you.
Now that you are taking action in your ERP selection process, we will move onto our next priniciple of success: Never Stop Learning.
We would love to talk with you about HOW to take the right action in your ERP selection process. Pick up the phone and call 1 888 300 2340 and together we will: