Trying to figure out how to choose a simple-to-use ERP software system? These 5 tips should make the process a little easier...

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How to Find an ERP System
that’s Easy to Use:
5 TIPS

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Some people love fiddling with new software - and others
hate it! If your team belong to the latter category, make
sure you choose ERP software which is easy to use by
following our tips...
How to Find an ERP System
that’s Easy to Use:

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Simplify Your Business
Processes First1.

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ERP software is just one part of your enterprise resource
planning; the processes in place at your business will
define the complexity of your ERP system. As a result, you
should always look to simplify your business processes
before implementing ERP software. It then follows that
the system should also be easier to use.

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ERP software is just one part of your enterprise resource
planning; the processes in place at your business will
define the complexity of your ERP system. As a result, you
should always look to simplify your business processes
before implementing ERP software. It then follows that
the system should also be easier to use.
“The first rule of any technology used in a
business is that automation applied to an efficient
operation will magnify the efficiency. The second
is that automation applied to an inefficient
operation will magnify the inefficiency.”
Bill Gates

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Know What
You Need2.

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Once your business processes have been rationalised,
your decision makers will be in a better position to define
what is actually required of your ERP software. With a
full list of requirements, it is less likely that the wrong
ERP system will be chosen. The “wrong” platform will
increase user frustration and dissatisfaction as they
are forced to work around it, rather than the software
supporting them.
Developers with experience in your industry, with
modules ready to add on when your business grows, are
most likely to provide the system you need. If you can,
talk to prospective suppliers’ happy customers - to see
how the systems work in practice.

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“ThereisnomagicinERPsoftware.ERP’sbenefits
are a direct result of effective preparation and
implementation, and appropriate use.”
R. Michael Donovan, management consultant

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Get Your Whole
Team Involved3.

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ERP solutions tend to be implemented through a desire
to reduce costs and manage growth expectations (ERP in
Manufacturing 2012 – Aberdeen Group), both of which
are overseen by the senior management team. If the
rest of the company is not involved in the ERP software
decision making process in some capacity it is unlikely
that the final solution will prove suited to the needs of the
staff expected to use it.
A‘onego-toplace’systemwhichoffersallthefunctionality
you need - which your team don’t have to supplement
with spreadsheets, for example - is most likely to be
successful.

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“Whatweneedtodoislearntoworkinthesystem,
by which I mean that everybody, every team,
every platform, every division, every component
is there not for individual competitive profit or
recognition, but for contribution to the system as
a whole on a win-win basis.”
W. Edwards Deming, Business expert

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Train Staff to Understand
Your Business Processes4.

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If your staff understand the way your business works
and the processes which underpin it, they also have
a good grounding in the logic which works behind
the scenes of an ERP software solution. Invest time
and money in training staff in this way and they will
immediately find ERP software easier to use.
The best software suppliers can also help you
customise and manage your ERP system - so you don’t
have to undergo the headache of employing full-time
IT staff to run it.

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“At a minimum, enterprises should allocate
17 percent of the total cost of an ERP project
to training. Gartner research also found that
companies that budget less than 13 percent of
their costs for training are three times more likely
to see their ERP projects run over time and over
budget when compared with companies that
spend 17 percent or more on training.”
Gartner Research

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Enable the Use of
Multiple Applications5.

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The most effective ERP software deployments make
it easy for staff to access and manipulate data (ERP in
Manufacturing 2012 – Aberdeen Group). Often this
involves sharing data between applications outside the
ERP system seamlessly to make the process intuitive
and easy.
The best systems are available on your mobile phone/
tablet, too - meaning you can access the data you need
wherever and whenever.

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“... the Best-in-Class [ERP software users]
know the advantage of making it easy for their
employees to actually use the data. The Best-in-
Class are 2.7 times as likely as all others to enable
employees to complete processes between
multiple applications without disruption. They are
over twice as likely to have data shared between
applications seamlessly and transparently. Thus
employees have a one stop shop for data and
are more likely to seek it out and use it for all
decisions.”
ERP in Manufacturing 2012 – Aberdeen Group

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10 jaw dropping
manufacturing mishaps
Sanderson, the experts in manufacturing software, take a look at
10 manufacturing mishaps, some funny, others just plain bizarre.
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