Distribution organizations are as dependent on their software applications as any other industry. Also, just as businesses in any industry must occasionally upgrade and optimize their software solutions, so must manufacturers.
Unfortunately, many business owners or department heads choose their solutions based on the vendor’s demonstration or the ease of finding user forums on the internet. When these situations occur, it’s more than likely that the chosen solution simply does not fit the organization.
Implementing ERP software well requires understanding the changes an organization must go through in order to use it well. Choosing a new solution must overcome the feeling of “We need to do something” that often leads to “Doing just anything.” Of course, from there it’s usually a post-hoc process that requires arduously configuring the new tools, process for using them, and training staff. All of which is made more difficult if the solution does not fit the existing processes of the organization.
Those with the authority to buy a new solution often fail to realize that an up-front investment of effort and time in understanding the existing processes within organization leads to a stronger implementation. By knowing today’s processes, it allows for specific solutions to be developed that optimize the adoption process and avoids the problem of multiple features being underutilized or never enacted.
When the tool implementation follows a process improvement, rather than creating a process improvement, you avoid the problem of making an already bad process do nothing more than go faster than it used to. By taking a step back and getting to the correct requirements for each organization, a smoother transition to the new tools set is enabled.
Acumen’s long experience in understanding the business needs of distribution organizations has given us the ability to conduct in-depth, accurate needs assessment that yield specific solutions. Contact us soon to begin a conversation over you business’s unique requirements.
