Top ERP Implementation Partner Selection Criteria – Cost & Benefits of ERP Implementation

The decision to implement a global ERP solution can be based on many factors. Because it is a detailed process, it is as important as the choice of software, making the right ERP Implementation Partner Selection Criteria that will help your company in the digital transformation. Partners play an important role in helping organizations successfully identify, purchase, develop, implement, service, support, and execute the best solutions that will meet your unique business needs. Working with a technology partner is a smart and simple option. IT departments are the focus of transformation in companies today, and they already know that it makes no sense to develop custom software in-house. Choosing the right ERP partner typically involves building a relationship, to maintain trust throughout the process.

Choosing The Right ERP Partner- ERP Implementation Partner Selection Criteria ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is the foundation of today's businesses. The agility provided by a modern ERP system backed by well-honed processes is what makes a business run successfully. ERP Implementation Partner Selection Criteria, on the other hand, might be a difficult task. And if something goes wrong, things will become more complicated and time-consuming. New strategies are changing the way suppliers are selected. Technology managers who find a good partner are able to evolve and optimize the benefits of solutions to transform and simplify the business, encompassing all operations and business processes.

Choosing the right SAP Business One ERP implementation partner for your organization is the basis for getting the most out of a powerful system like ERP. The blog contains ERP implementation partner selection criteria that can assist firms in choosing the correct ERP partner and implementing the new system with the least amount of pain and the greatest amount of success.

Why Do You Need an ERP Implementation Partner?

ERP implementation, if not done by professionals, can be extremely time-consuming and costly that will affect every aspect of your business. Many in-house IT teams lack the expertise to implement a new ERP, and there's also a chance you won't have enough capacity to deploy the chosen ERP. An ERP software solution provider could work with your company to determine its needs and set up a cost-effective and high-performing ERP system.

However, you'll need a product-savvy ERP implementation partner who can work with your team to understand the needs and provide the finest solution available for a successful deployment. Because your ERP implementation partner will become an integral part of your business, working with you not only during implementation but also for years afterwards, choosing the correct ERP implementation partner is an important decision and should be done carefully.

The ERP software evaluation process can be complex but selecting and implementing a system that is not the best fit for your specific business can result in lost investment, wasted time, and lost productivity. In fact, nearly 50 percent of ERP implementations fail the first time around. - "Denis Rousseau, TEC's Senior Business Systems Analyst"

Choosing The Right ERP Partner- ERP Implementation Partner Selection Criteria

1. Go through the existing processes and problems

Document the ERP success partners' current processes, strengths, and problems. Examine their ongoing system's shortcomings, as well as what procedures could be enhanced and how to achieve them. The final study informs the company's future vision and serves as a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of your ERP solution. Vendors should tailor their solutions to your aims if you have a clear image of what you want to achieve. Vendors must show how their product's capabilities will suit your company's requirements.

2. Assess Total Cost-Both short term and long term

Calculate the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) over a three-year period while assessing an ERP package. To arrive at a realistic cost, involve all stakeholders in the process. The following are some of the things to think about:

• Implementation services
• Licensing
• Training
• Software
• Hardware
• Annual maintenance fees
• Upgrade fees
• Internal resource costs
• Third-party tools

If the organization is growing steadily, estimate the costs of upgrading and expanding the system to include new users, processes, or locations. To avoid exorbitant update fees, you must first grasp the ERP software solution providers’ flexibility and limitations.

3. Sponsors and the Implementation Team

Sponsorship from the top tier of management, like with any company-wide endeavour, is required to see the efforts through. By removing any impediments to advancement, the sponsor and key leaders are vital to the project's success. Top executives must go out to the management teams who will be affected by the changes and enlist their support. Each department must believe it has a voice in the decision-making process. By including these stakeholders as members of the implementation team, the team improves the chances of success. They'll be needed to support the modifications before, during, and after the new ERP project's go-live date.

4. Look for ERP expertise and industry knowledge.

The ERP success partner you hire should have a comprehensive vision of your business that extends beyond the software's functionality. Understanding your company's important elements is critical to a successful ERP installation. Request that your top partners demonstrate their understanding of your business or sector, as well as how that knowledge will translate into positive results for your organization. Look We are looking for a partner with extensive industry knowledge and a track record of delivering solutions on time and on budget.

5. Time is consumed in implementation.

Time is a valuable asset. Your ERP partner should have a strong implementation approach in place to ensure that your project goes off without a hitch. The faster you get up and running, the more user buy-in you'll get, and the sooner you'll see a return on your investment. In order to understand what the partnership will look like and who is responsible for what, inquire about your partner's implementation strategy. You should have a clear path for deployment and beyond by the end of the conversation.

6. Check for necessities

There are over 70 ERP software packages in the market. Don't be tempted by a well-known brand. Instead, select the option that provides all of the functionality you require without the extra features you do not require. Start by evaluating the end-to-end functionality. It will help you learn how well the solution matches the needs of the company. Because end customers are included in the testing group, you'll be able to spot flaws and gaps in the system before you buy it.

7. Testimonials and References

Your partners must share case studies, testimonials, and references from other clients. Of course, while testimonials can be helpful, you should be diligent enough to go beyond what is presented, going straight to the contacts to speak with some satisfied customers. Ask your future technology partner for a list of customers you can contact. Make sure they can confirm that the potential partner has completed a product to specification and satisfaction. Ask to rummage through their portfolio, this will help you fully understand the company's knowledge and whether or not they are able to meet your needs.

8. Post-Implementation Support

following the implementation of your new ERP system, you must guarantee that it performs as planned for helping your business reach the desired objectives. How will you address any challenges that arise when ERP has become the backbone of your business? As a result, you must determine whether your ERP implementation partner is capable of identifying and addressing any new challenges, as well as offering further training if necessary, in order to keep the ERP working smoothly.

Understand ERP Implementation Cost

Considering the average number of users a system may have, an ERP deployment for a small-to-mid-sized business can cost an average of $20,000 for 10 users. This is a broad benchmark, so you'll need to think about your company's individual needs in order to establish a more appropriate budget. Here are some of the most important factors to consider while budgeting for ERP.

• Software licensing
• Supplementary servers and hardware
• Data transformation and transmission to the new ERP
• Modification if required
• Testing and training
• Post-implementation support

While you might think that implementing an ERP system could be costly, companies in certain industries have gained the most in return from making the move.

Benefits of ERP Implementation

  Enhanced Business Reporting

ERP works as a reporting tool with real-time information for the business processes. It works as a centralized source of truth – one integrated database for all business-related information.

  Better customer service.

Get quick and easy access to customer information and attain faster response times. Enhance on-time delivery and customer satisfaction along with improved order accuracy.

  Improved Inventory Costs

Only store the required amount and avoid any unnecessary wastage of resources. With the help of this, businesses will be able to dodge both- higher overhead costs and longer customer fulfilment times.

  Boosted Cash Flow

Have a better invoicing process and related tools to bring incoming cash faster to the desk. Faster cash flow means more cash in hand for using it again in the business.

  Better Data & Cloud Security

Obtain improved security resources from ERP solution providers. Businesses don’t have to go anywhere else for data privacy and security. The data can be distributed across multiple servers smoothly.

Why ERP Implementations fail?

It can be challenging to identify the precise reason for ERP failure, even with the advantage of going back in time to examine the game tape in slow motion. However, following are the main core causes of ERP failure are commonly seen by businesses:

  Unaligned structure

The issues listed above are likely to arise if your team isn't complying with what this digital transformation means for your business and how it fits into a larger plan. The project team simply cannot have a clear direction and will find it difficult to reach agreement on choices in the absence of alignment from the top of the organisation.

  Internal bias

One of the most frequent underlying reasons for ERP failure is internal bias. Everyone has biases because we are all human, but the issue is made worse when you have many counterparties who are operating in their own economic self-interest rather than your own.

  Blind Spots

It is true that ignorance can be dangerous. Although we might believe that our ERP systems integrator is capable of managing our complete project, they frequently aren't. They may have excellent software design and development skills, but they are frequently unprepared to manage the numerous facets of digital transformation that are necessary for success.

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Which ERP Implementation Methodology Is Right for Your Business?

To maximise your chances of effective ERP implementation, it is crucial to choose the best implementation strategy. The following are the top three methods for implementing ERP:

  Waterfall

is frequently regarded as the "classic" method, featuring a highly structured project schedule and gates for forwarding between different stages. Choose if- Projects with high complexities will are an ideal fit for a structured approach of Waterfall methodology. This method clearly defines deliverables and let them flow from top to bottom just like a waterfall.

  Agile

It is a latest ERP implementation strategy that aims to sprint-deliver production-ready software in small increments. Choose if- Agile methodologies are preferred for early user feedback and acceptance of the solutions. It provides ongoing users to interact so that they get adapted to the solution.

  Conference Room Pilot (CRP)

This ERP implementation methodology repetitiously configures the software to deliver important business operations. Choose if- Smaller projects can frequently be managed using a CRP methodology with adaptable, simple processes. This strategy divides the main objective into smaller, logically connected sections.

Why Silver Touch as an ERP Implementation Partner?

Silver Touch is a reliable and official partners of SAP and has an experience of 22+ years working in the same industry. Over the years, over 200+ companies have been survived with outstanding and result-driven SAP implementation that brought desired outcomes.

Main industry verticals served by Silver Touch in previous years. Check out the full list here:

• Industry Machinery
• Chemicals and Dyes
• Electronic Items
• Food & Beverages
• Textile Machinery and Parts
• Automotive
• Healthcare Products
• Farming
• Digital Media Marketing
• Financial Services

Moreover, get a range of SAP ERP addons for increasing the efficiency of your ERP system like Warehouse Management System, HRMS, Sales Order Processing, etc. Get in touch today to schedule a free consultation.

Conclusion: Choosing The Right SAP ERP Implementation Partner

The point is that your ERP system is the backbone of your business, and it has to be cared for and maintained in order to work at its best. And it's a lot easier to do when you have a partner who can help you out when you need it. Your firm will benefit from a high-performing ERP software system if you choose the correct ERP implementation partner with a solid implementation approach. Reach out to our specialists if you think SAP is the ideal fit for your company and are seeking an ERP implementation partner. We are the official and most trusted SAP Business One partner and our rapid approach has been meticulously created to assure the success of your ERP implementation. Keep in mind above mention ERP implementation partner selection criteria when you choose your ERP partner for your business.

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