ERP Ready or Not? Are You Ready for a New System?

How ERP ready is your company? Is it ready to begin the process of effectively selecting and implementing a new ERP system?

Questions and concerns about ERP readiness are some of the most common we hear as we work with our manufacturing clients. Companies are concerned if now is the right time to undertake an ERP project; if their team can handle the demands of the project; and if they can be successful with a new system.

Another compelling question we often hear is “is the investment in an ERP project worth it?”

This question of readiness is of utmost importance, and has much to do with the overall effectiveness of ERP selection and implementation.

In many cases companies ask us to team with them on ERP readiness assessment services to work through the answers.

Evaluating ERP Readiness

While each manufacturing environment offers unique circumstances, when entering into an  ERP readiness assessment, we typically consider: 

• Executive Support – Are all of the executive in support of this project? Is this project one of the company’s top initiatives? Are the executives in alignment with the project? Are the executives able to fund the project with the proper resources?
• Strategy – Does the project support the strategy of the business?
• Project Management – Is the project staffed with adequate project management resources that understand the business, can lead the company team, and have project management skills and experience?
• Project Team – Has the project been staffed with adequate resources? Are the resources the right people to lead business process change in their area?
• Organization –  Is the organization capable of change? Is the organization prepared for change?
• Business Processes –  Are the right business processes in place today? Do any processes need improvement before a transformation? Do we have significant new system processes needed in future state?
• Data – Do we have major data gaps? What is accuracy and integrity of current data? Are data owners identified and educated on data ownership?
• Information Technology – Does the company have a sufficient IT infrastructure to enable transformation? What are the gaps? Servers, network, technology, personnel, and disaster recovery. 

Ready for New ERP?

An ERP readiness assessment is just one part of Ultra’s comprehensive ERP selection services,   This phase can’t be overlooked, as it sets the foundation for a successful project.

For a further look at the concepts outlined here, download the complimentary white paper Best Practices for Effective ERP Selection as an additional resource.