How to survive an ERP implementation…and a horror movie

1. Don't be attached to your house…or your old legacy ERP system: If your house has turned into a death trap, the longer you stay in it the more likely it is to get you killed…get outta there! Same thing goes for that old ERP system. If it has become functionally obsolete or if you have outgrown it will only suffocate you and kill sales; Time to save yourself with an ERP system upgrade and get started on an ERP implementation. 
   

2. Don’t go back for that one thing…you’ll wind up dead!  Characters are constantly running back into that deathtrap of a house to get a photo, a family heirloom…their pet frog…let it go! If there are parts of that old legacy system you just love (even if everything else in the system is a sales killer) it may be time to let it go for the greater good of all the nice things a new system would have to offer.

3. Don’t be the jock: In every scary movie there is some big macho football player who knows it all and bullies the other characters into doing something stupid and he winds up getting himself or someone else killed 99.9% of the time. Don’t be that person; be open to the suggestions of your peers and co-workers. A number of people in the company will have something to say about the new ERP system- listen to them, you never know what insight others may provide. Don’t bully everyone into the ERP implementation or selection; work as a team and the whole process will be a lot smoother.  

4. If you run down the road in search of help and come upon a creepy abandoned gas station...it’s probably deserted for a reason...Keep on moving! Enough said…if the software doesn’t seem reliable, or if it doesn’t seem like a good fit for your company…then it’s probably not. Go with your gut and keep moving until you find the right system for you. 

5. If there is some creepy townie giving you a hint- take it! Ok, so it doesn’t have to be some crazy person giving you some sort of cryptic message…like when the  strange guy who lives across the street from the house you just moved into tells you bad things have happened to everyone who has lived there..but you ignore him and move in anyway, only to become one of those people…but if your co-workers and peers are telling you something just isn’t right about the a system you are considering implementing, don’t ignore them…hear them out and really give their opinions or stories some thought before moving forward with the ERP implementation. 

6. Never enter a room with only one way out: You know you’ve done it, screamed “don’t go in there, you idiot!” at your TV right before someone walks into a room with only one door and no windows while the creepy music plays. Then boom! a psycho killer is hiding behind that door, closes it, and trap the character in a room with no other way out…Make sure your new ERP system has more than one door. Test the software before you buy it, have a demo, try the free trial, do your research etc. Just make sure you know what is in the system before you implement it so you don’t get yourself stuck.

7. DO NOT SPLIT UP! Another classics horror movie mistake, “hey guys lets all split up and run around in the woods in the middle of the night when a killer is on the loose!” …dumb idea every time. The same goes for your ERP implementation. Stick with your team; work with each other to find the best way out of your legacy system and into a new one. 

So there you have it—the guide to surviving an ERP implementation, and now if you ever find yourself in a scary movie- you will be able to survive that too! See software blogs don’t have to be boring!

For more tips check out: “the do’s and don’ts of ERP implementation”

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