Sage 100 ERP Consultant Tip: 4 Keys to ERP Implementation Success

As Sage 100 ERP consultants, we have run across many situations where those who were thinking about ERP end up with a bad experience when implementing an ERP solution. The whole implementation process may even make you feel like you should be committed to an institution for even being convinced you should implement new ERP software. In all seriousness, the success of an ERP implementation project starts with buy-in from key stakeholders and the users of the software. You may be convinced that you’ve found the right ERP solution but it’s essential that you and your team are committed to its implementation in order to endure the challenges that come with it.

If you and your team are convinced and committed that you will achieve greater productivity, higher efficiencies, and greater profitability by installing new ERP software, then the project is more likely to succeed. Winning teams display strong, durable commitment - both to a common cause and to one another. This commitment inspires them to persevere through setbacks and to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed.

Sage 100 ERP Consultant Tip: 4 Commitments for ERP Implementation Success

Commitment to investing in and implementing new ERP software can go through several steps. Here are four steps to committing to the common cause of your new ERP software:

1. Understanding - Many executives who think they should implement  new ERP software mistakenly believe that others in the company  have also bought into the vision that new software is necessary. However, being convinced is not the same as being committed - it’s only the initial stage.  Many of these projects fail because even though everyone agrees, it doesn’t mean they’re committed to make it succeed. I’ve watched some companies make the purchase of new software only to see them put off implementation so many times that the reason to purchase is forgotten. Everyone was convinced it was needed but no one was committed to seeing it get done.
2. Contribution - When you purchase new ERP software you’ve put time and money into a vision of achieving being more efficient, more productive, and more profitable. You now have a greater level of involvement with it. Yet, while you and your team may support this vision, you’re not completely committed to it. “For example, we may send a donation to a worthy charity, and even volunteer with it occasionally, and yet not lose sleep over its long-term success or failure.”  Quote from an article by the John Maxwell Company.
3. Ownership - Once you’ve decided to take real ownership of the project, you and your team start to feel responsible for the fate of the vision and have become particularly invested in it. You’ve not only invested time and money but you’ve also given some blood, sweat, and tears to develop a stake in its' success. This may sound a bit “motivational guruish” but you’ve developed an emotional tie to achieving greater productivity, being more efficient and becoming more profitable and care deeply about seeing it come to pass. Yet even at this point, you and your team are not fully committed to the new ERP software’s success.
4. Evangelism - When you and your team can’t stop talking about the potential success of the new ERP software, sharing it with your industry counterparts and recruiting co-workers to take part in it, you have finally reached full commitment. You and members of your team get excited talking about the new software and its potential for achieving all you had hoped, you’re almost passionate about it. This isn’t just momentary hype either, it’s a lasting enthusiasm. By now, the “vision” thing matters to you and your team and has become a significant part of your overall success. “They are not selling it for self-advancement; they are spreading the word about the cause because they genuinely believe in its worth.” Quote from an article by the John Maxwell Company

So can you ask yourself this, what level of commitment do you and your team have to implementing new ERP software? Are you not only convinced you’ve found the right software but are you committed to achieving the shared goals of being more efficient, more productive, and more profitable?

Feel free to CONTACT US at Baesis or call Len Diana at 508-393-9960 x 1011 if you have any questions about this article, Sage 100 ERP or are considering implementing a new ERP systems. We offer a free needs assessment to help you get started. The inspiration for this post was from an article by the John Maxwell Company on leadership. I’d encourage you to read “Convinced or Committed?”

Baesis was founded with the belief that there was an opportunity to serve the SMB manufacturing community and build a company based on values and a customer first attitude. Baesis specializes in serving the SMB manufacturing community in New England, New York, Ohio, Kansas and Missouri implementing, supporting and training customers on Sage 100, JobOps, Sage 50 for Manufacturing, and MISys solutions.

Today Baesis is one of the largest Sage and JobOps resellers in the United States. Sage 100 and JobOps ERP solutions help Baesis better serve the manufacturing community in New England, New York, Ohio, Kansas, and Missouri by helping customers identify new and improved ways to increase productivity and profitability.

Another version of this article was previously posted on Baesis Tech Tips Blog by Len Diana on Tue, Apr 01, 2014 “Convinced or Committed About ERP?”

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