Whether you’re looking for your first enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution or you’re dissatisfied with your current ERP system, ERP consulting will save your business time and money. Not only does ERP consulting streamline the implementation process, but it reduces the amount of frustration and hair-pulling that connecting multiple complex systems can cause.
Here’s everything you need to know about ERP consulting, what an ERP consultant does, and how to choose the right consulting service for your unique business needs.
What Is an ERP Consultant?
An ERP consultant is an individual or team of experts with extensive experience in smart factories, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and, of course, resource planning.
ERP consulting firms help organizations select, implement, customize, and optimize their ERP systems. By offering our expertise, guidance, and support, ERP consultants assist businesses in effectively leveraging ERP solutions to achieve their operational and strategic goals.
What Does an ERP Consultant Do?
An ERP consulting firm assists businesses with setting up ERP systems. An excellent ERP consultant should help you every step of the way, from selecting your ERP software to making the changes you need as your business scales.
Here is how ERP consultants work together with companies to help them grow.
1. ERP Software Selection
The first step of your ERP journey is to select the ERP software that best suits your business’s needs. For example, the consultants at Godlan recommend and work with two industry leaders: Netsuite and Infor Syteline. The ERP system you select will depend on your unique processes and goals.
Together, your ERP consultant and your leadership team will discuss your business’s current operations and future goals. Then, your consultant will help you compare different ERP vendors, and their offerings, and determine if the ERP has the right functionality, scalability, industry fit, and price tag for you.
2. ERP Implementation
Next comes ERP implementation. Not having an ERP consultant at this stage in the process is the leading cause of project delay and even abandonment. Implementation involves connecting all your current systems, from financial to smart manufacturing, so they provide the right data at the right time. You might be thinking of the tech headaches that come to mind, but getting employees on board with the coming changes can be a roadblock, too.
An ERP consultant assists in both the technical and human connections required for successful implementation. Consultants work with leadership to create a detailed implementation roadmap to avoid hiccups along the way. Your implementation strategy may include project timelines, resource allocation, data migration strategies, employee training plans, and change management techniques.
3. Customization and Configuration
ERP solutions can be tailored to meet your business’s requirements. Using ERP modules, we can configure the software to align with your custom workflows, data fields, reports, and other functionalities.
4. Project Management
We’re not looking to replace your current project manager, but to work together to streamline the complex process of ERP implementation. ERP consultants help oversee the entire implementation process, troubleshoot bugs, monitor progress, address challenges, and keep your ERP solution on track.
5. Data Migration and Integration
If you’re looking for an ERP consultant, odds are you’re an existing business looking to grow. That means you already have a wealth of data that needs to be incorporated into your new ERP system. ERP consultants can help clean, transform, and migrate data accurately, without fear of data loss, all while integrating multiple systems and software.
6. Change Management
As mentioned above, it can be difficult for employees to adapt – or even be willing to adapt – to changes that a new ERP system might make to their daily work. Fortunately, ERP consultants utilize clear communication and helpful techniques to train employees on the new system. Consultants can help your employees gain the confidence needed to adapt, and see how the new system can simplify their workflow.
7. Ongoing Support
Have you ever owned a car that didn’t need maintenance? Us either. As with all complex systems, you and your team may run into challenges while learning the system. Additionally, you may need to make changes or require additional resources as your business grows. An excellent ERP consulting service will never leave you high and dry. ERP consultants can help with updates, improvements, and expansions.
8. Vendor Relationship Management
ERP consultants act as intermediaries between your organization and the ERP vendor. Using our expertise and knowledge of your business, we are able to streamline communication with the ERP technicians to help navigate issues, negotiate terms, and ensure you’re getting the most return on your investment.
How to Choose an ERP Consultant
We realize that making the leap into ERP is a serious investment. In fact, choosing the right ERP consulting firm is more important than selecting the software itself. After all, what good is enterprise resource planning software if you’re using all your resources just to set it up?
Consider these factors when choosing an ERP consultant:
-
- Experience and Expertise: Look for a firm with a proven track record with implementation. Bonus points if they have case studies available for your reference!
- Industry Knowledge: Find an ERP consultant with knowledge of your industry to reduce ramp-up time and keep you in compliance with industry regulations.
- References: Consider requesting references from past clients to get an idea of what the consultant is like to work with.
- Support Post-Implementation: Avoid ERP consultants who only offer implementation services. Find a consulting firm that offers ongoing support.
- Collaboration and Communication: Get a feel for how collaborative the consultant is. Ideally, your ERP consulting firm will ask questions about your needs and goals from the start and communicate regularly and clearly via your preferred medium.
- Local or Remote: Do you need a consultant who can provide on-site support, or do you prefer an ERP consultant who can collaborate remotely?
- Transparent Pricing: No ERP consulting firm should be dodgy about its pricing. Ask questions to make sure your consultant fits your budget.
- Credentials and Certifications: You want to partner with an ERP consulting firm that is committed to keeping up with ever-changing technology. Check for certifications, credentials, memberships, and affiliations with industry associations to ensure professionalism within the organization.
Need Help Choosing an ERP Consulting Firm?
At Godlan, our primary goal is to help businesses scale by leveraging custom ERP solutions. We pride ourselves on our ability to streamline ERP implementation and take ongoing care of our clients. It all starts with a conversation. Reach out to Godlan Consulting to learn if we’re the right fit for you.
