Don’t Try to Reinvent the ERP Wheel – A Look Into ERP Selection Tips
Everyone has heard the common expression, “Don’t reinvent the wheel”, but too often we see companies doing exactly that when it comes to their enterprise technology. Businesses will try to implement and manage enterprise systems themselves, throw together a slew of different software platforms to fill each and every individual department need or want, and in some cases actually try to develop and maintain their own ERP system. These internal “fixes” may initially seem to get the job done, however very rarely are they sustainable ways to operate your business.
There are various reasons why an organization may want to “reinvent the ERP wheel”, but the most common reasons for going this route center around either perceived cost savings or fitting unique functional needs.
During the ERP selection process, you need to take the bigger picture into account and make sure you are doing what’s best for the company long term. Here are some questions you should consider before making a decision:
These are just a few of the questions you need to think about to make sure you are making an informed decision.
If you are considering trying to implement, manage or build your ERP internally, please allow me an opportunity to walk you off the cliff. Over the next few weeks, through this blog series, I will share a few anecdotes to address the questions above. Hopefully these upcoming posts might help you to re-evaluate your decision and feel like you are coming from a more informed place.
In our first installment we will dive deeper into the question of, “Does your company have an unlimited budget for their ERP system?" The answer more times than not is no, your company does not. Don’t let that deter you. Companies of all different sizes and budgets have tried to re-invent the ERP wheel. As you will see in the next installment, some have done so successfully, and others not so much. I look forward to sharing some of those stories and touching on all the above questions over the coming weeks.