Implementing the Best ERP Practices in Company - Coursework Example

Implementing the best ERP Practices in Company Student’s Name Institution Affiliation ERP Practices Introduction In any business regardless of the industry that you are in, implementation of ERP solution into the organization activities is a very important matter that must be taken seriously. When it to usage of ERP in an organization, there are so many benefits that it comes up with that will make the organization perform better than the past. However, when an organization implements ERP, there are some concerns that usually arise due to uncertainties and the cost that is involved. To ensure that the ERP is performing in a better way it is important that the cost and ROI is related to see the quantity of benefits that are driven out of the Investment done. There must be practical consideration that will be taken to ensure that the company is in a position of being able to manage ERP. The company must show efforts towards the implementation of the ERP and have a specific team that will monitor that supports and monitors various issues that may rise in the process. All these are meant to ensure that everything succeeds. There have been various implementation benefits that have been seen over time. There are various sectors of the economy that have been boosted with the implementation and usage of the ERP. The current ERP practices have specifically focused in specific areas whereas some have been left out. However, if ERP practices are implemented in these areas, it is possible that a great impact will be felt. If there will be situations where deployment of ERP in the Retail industry and also operation of country activities, then it possible that so much improvements will be felt in these areas. Some of the areas that the ERP can be used are like customer demand forecasting and shorter product life cycle. The ERP will enable business operations to run smoothly and be able to take into consideration various activities that can be taken through them. Quick and improved ways of performing different functions will be taken ensuring that the businesses are operating in an efficient manner (Aberdeen Group, 2015, pg. 21). Research and Discussion There are practices that are undertaken to ensure that ERP implementation within the organization is beneficial. Some practices that can be undertaken are to ensure that the operation of the ERP causes efficiency. However, currently, the ERP practices have concentrated on some areas where as some sections like the retail industry has been left out. The following are some of the implementation practices that can be done to ensure efficiency in the usage of ERP. Select the Best ERP Implementation for Your Business This is the prior practice that should be undertaken before getting into the any step of getting ERP into the organization. Research should be done to ensure that the ERP system to be selected is the best and it will give the organization the best services. Different ERP software are made in a manner that they will fit each business according to the industry of operation. When looking into the ERP system it is best if consider that system that has key operations within it that are related with the business within it. The major key operations that an ERP system should have are manufacturing, purchasing and sales, logistics, accounting, finance, and human resources. All these are practices that cut across an organization. Most of the ERP operations that have been implemented have usually focused on the above operations. However, when it comes to issues with the issues of Customer demand forecasting and innovations that will lead to making the product life cycle shorter, no ERP systems that have been developed. Systems that are able to keep information about the customers who have purchased the goods and services from the organization and also able to come up with the trend of customers are to be developed if at all the issue of forecasting is to be taken into consideration (Johan, 2008, pg. 1). On the other hand, systems that are aimed at faster production of goods and services so as to reduce the product life cycle should be innovated. In these areas ERPO software that can be able to integrate different processes of production should be employed. When selecting the best ERP systems then it is good that the above to be taken into consideration if at all we need to improve the performance and efficiency of the organization (Aberdeen Group, 2015, pg. 25). Get Executive Buy-In and Build Consensus around ERP Implementation Successful implementation of an ERP system into an organization needs cooperation from both the management and staff. Before the start of the implementation, then it is good that all the stakeholders within the organization understand what they are getting into. It is good that they know the benefits that will be driven out of the implementation. On top of these, it is best to let them know what it will take them to ensure a successful implementation of an ERP system within the organization. Let them understand the logistic challenges that they will be facing when undergoing the process of ERP implementation, the physical distribution challenges that will be faced in trying to ensure that the organization is moving towards the right direction, and the cost challenges that they will face. It helps to avoid the issue of resistance to change. To ensure that they do understand the importance of ERP within an organization, it is best if to do benchmarking from the top performers within the industry. When it come to the retail industry and a country performance, then it is best that the stakeholders in this two areas are made to understand the benefits that they will get out of implementation of the related software. Customer forecasting and shortening of product cycle will be one of the ways to entice the stakeholders towards having the motivation of implementing the system within the organization (Batuhan, 2015, pg. 8). Set Realistic Expectations for ERP Implementation It is best that on the process of ERP implementation, to ensure that certain goals is set to ensure that we are driving ourselves towards the right direction. If the expectations are not set, then it is impossible to see if the ERP is bringing any change to the organization. The goals set should be measured as the continuous process of ERP implementation takes place. It will be best if we ensure that the trend of changes within the organization is paying back to the expectation required. Everything in the organization will be measure according to the result that is obtained against the change that is expected to be seen. When setting the expectations that are going to be driven from ERP, it is good to take into consideration other technological innovations that are going to assist in the ERP implementation. There are those technologies if combined with ERP; it is possible that the results will be greater that what we expected. ERP results will determined on how well they are utilized and the extent to which they are best implemented. The stages of ERP implementation are different and each has a positive impact to the organization at large. Since the cost incurred to implement ERP within the organization, it is best that all those stages are measured against the cost incurred to implement it in the process. However, when the set expectations are unrealistic, then we are going to see cases of discouragement within the organization which at the will cause harm to the aim that was supposed to get out of the whole process. The expectations are best to keep everything on check to ensure success. In all the expectations it is best to focus on how well the ERP can be utilized to ensure that the retail industry will be affected positively. On top of that, cases of customer demand focus should be brought into the equation so that they can be targeted within the expectations. Systems within the ERP that can be used to reduce the product life cycle also can be used and set goals on them should be implemented to ensure success (Victor, 2014, pg. 15). Focus on Staff Resources and Strong Project Management The staff should be at the center of the implementation practices within an organization. They will be the determinants on the extent to which the ERP will succeed and the impact that it will have in the process. When a qualified staff is going to be used in the process of ensuring that the ERP is in place, then it is possible that the best methods are going to be achieved. On the other hand, a strong project management team is going to ensure the implementation takes place as expected without facing any resistance and delays. It is also good to employ qualified staff who can be able to observe various changes that may be required within the ERP to fit the prevailing conditions in the market. Conclusion ERP implementation practices require a deep understanding. They require procedural implementation to ensure that the expected impact within the organization is felt. However, there are other areas that require more innovation on the ERP systems that are to be used to ensure that efficiency is brought in there operation. In addition to these, there are cases where the ERP requires close monitoring and cooperation to ensure that the required results are obtained. Recommendation and future directions It is best to come up with systems that can be able to store data about the customers who have visited a given organization and come up with the trend that will be used in the process. Also, it is prudent that systems that are able to integrate the various processes of production be developed so that they can reduce the period of product cycle. The Retail industry and the country, needs systems that can be able to deal with customer demand forecasting and short product life cycle. All these will ensure efficiency in the operation. References Batuhan Kocaoglu*, A. Zafer Acar, 2015. Developing an ERP Triggered Business Process Improvement Cycle, from a Case Company. Victor Gekara, 2014. Business Process Changes for ERP Upgrades: Impact on organizational capabilities and improvements. Aberdeen Group, 2015. How Top Companies Use Technology and Logistics Partners to Improve Performance. Johann Heydenrych, 2008. Preparing for ERP with Manufacturing Best Practices. Read More