As a Sage 100 ERP (MAS 90) software consultant, I’ve seen many successful and some not so successful ERP implementations. 

It’s enormously disappointing for me to see a company implement Sage 100 ERP (MAS 90) and later wonder why they aren’t seeing efficiencies or why they aren’t getting the Business Intelligence they were expecting.

I’ll admit I eat, sleep and breathe ERP software solutions as it’s my job and I’m quite passionate about it, however, I believe most software consultants desire to see success for their clients through whatever new solution they are implementing.

I’ve listed below the top 5 things I believe help to make an ERP implementation successful.

  1. Set Clear Plans & Goals – it sounds unbelievable, but some companies lack a defined objective and scope for their ERP software deployment.  In short, a project that is not planned will likely fail!  You should be able to state the 5 main reasons why you need a new ERP system, and the output you want from it.  It is also essential to understand a good ERP software deployment is a significant undertaking and will involve a considerable amount of your teams’ time to be successful.

  2. Executive Sponsorship – The CFO/VP of Finance should be a very vocal sponsor of your ERP system initiative.  The CFO/VP of Finance needs to communicate the value of ERP software and Business Intelligence to the team.  It’s also important to hold all team members accountable for adoption and continued use of the new ERP system.

  3. Partnering with an Experienced Business Partner – A number of companies believe ERP software deployment is something that can be done by their IT & accounting departments.  While your IT and accounting personnel will play an important role in your ERP software implementation, it’s key to select and work with a good ERP Business Partner.  The Business Partner will spend time discussing critical business related topics and processes to align the ERP deployment to your business.

  4. Assign an ERP Champion – Every organization must assign an individual that will become the champion of the chosen ERP solution.  This individual will undertake more one-on-one training in order to learn more advanced features to promote what the software can do and provide the end user a go to person within the organization when they have questions.  This go to person becomes a fountain of knowledge and also decreases total cost of ownership of your implementation.

  5. Sufficient Training for All ERP Users – Your ERP project should include ample time for end user training along with the implementation and customization of the ERP system.  Allotting time for group or personal training is imperative.  It’s also important to train users to not only input the data but also ways to search and find what is valuable to them.  Doing so will help them see the value of the solutions.

     

Register for our Sage 100 newsletter today!