Erp Best Practices For Manufacturing & Distribution Companies

Part I: Selecting and Implementing an ERP System
Hassan Khan, Anthony D’Agostino, Danielle Marchese

Developing a comprehensive systems strategy is critical to every company’s long-term success. But the effectiveness of the strategy is only as good as the selection and implementation processes that precede it. This is especially true when choosing and rolling out an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

An ERP system is software that automates, integrates and streamlines business processes across an organization, making accounting, data analysis and other operations more efficient. The benefits of ERP have a direct impact on the customer experience, which makes it one of the most important technology decisions you will ever make for your manufacturing or distribution company.

Before you embark on an ERP project, ask yourself why you are implementing the system in the first place, and communicate your answer to all stakeholders – upper management, project team, ERP vendor and, eventually, all employees. This will provide a solid foundation for consensus-building, change management, adoption, long-term usage and maximum return on your investment.

It is also important to understand key ERP selection and implementation best practices from Day 1 – before you even start to evaluate or install a new system.