What Are You Trying To Achieve With ERP?

Does the quest to achieve ‘industry best practices’ keep you up at night? If you are among 99% of manufacturers, the answer is ‘no – not really.’

Writing to Toolbox.com, Eric Kimberling posted the results of an online poll asking manufacturers for what they hoped to achieve through the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

Here are the results to date:

• Achieve Measurable Business Results and a Strong ROI – 30%

• Achieve Operational Superiority to Our Competitors – 15%

• Leverage Industry Best Practices Adopted by Our Competitors – 1%

• All of the Above – 48%

• None of the Above 6%

The results of this poll are both telling and obvious.

In terms of the obvious, of course manufacturers are looking to ERP software implementation – or implementation of any manufacturing software, for that matter – to achieve results and ROI.

In terms of the telling, the simple fact that Kimberling chose to include ‘leverage industry best practices’ as a poll option tells us that many software vendors still rely on vague benefits when offering solutions.

For a manufacturer, seeking the solution to legitimate business problems (poor ROI, losing track to competition, etc.) and finding only vagaries can be extremely frustrating.

As I’ve discussed before, leading manufacturers are on the front lines of our economic recovery. In other words, your time is far too valuable – from both your own personal point of view and a global economic point of view – to be wasted.

Should you find yourself in an ERP software pitch and find the conversation shifting to a discussion of best practices – before you get to a conversation on ROI – my advice is to immediately (and bluntly) bring the vendor back to a discussion of your true needs.

If they can’t answer how their solution will help you achieve measurable business results, there is no foul in simply excusing yourself from the pitch.

I’d be happy to walk you through the demo, and discuss how it will help you achieve true business objectives, personally. Get in Touch Today!