The business information system is based on many tools. Among these tools, the ERP software like (Dynamics 365 Sales)occupies a prominent place. It is a management software that combines performance and optimization of costs and resources. Choosing an ERP is a big investment in both time and money for the company. It is therefore essential to make a wise choice of ERP in order to take advantage of the positive impacts that this software could have on the development of your company. To do this, there are many criteria for choosing an ERP that can help you choose the best ERP. However, these ERP selection criteria are not equal. There are some that are more decisive than others. Here are some of the most important selection criteria to take into account when choosing your ERP.
WHAT ARE THE MOST DECISIVE CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING YOUR ERP SOFTWARE?
A priori, the choice of a ERP seems obvious and easy. However, a poorly made ERP choice can be detrimental to your business. Choosing your ERP meets many selection criteria
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Your requirements
This is the most important, and the most complex besides. This criterion consists in identifying the real needs and the essential functions of your ERP. It also involves determining the quality of your software. By identifying your requirements, you make a general analysis of the situation of your organization. To do this, you must be able to ask yourself specific questions. This will allow you to know what are the weaknesses of your system at the moment, the suffering caused by possible shortcomings to customers. You must ask yourself what are the projects of your structure for a given period. On top of that, you need to keep in mind the strengths of your current system. So you are sure not to back down.
It is strongly advised to take all your time for the analysis of this criterion. Collect the different points of view of potential ERP users. To do this, prepare a questionnaire and schedule group meetings. In doing so, you will easily and quickly be able to identify the priorities and criteria for choosing your ERP. It will be up to you to sort and rank the priorities collected.
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Your type of organization
After identifying and distributing the different needs, you must take stock of the type of organization you have. You need to be able to know if your organization is constantly changing or stagnating, if you are at the forefront of new technologies, etc. It goes without saying that ERP software vendors will offer you software that matches your organizational personality. By knowing yourself better as an organization, you will be a little more fixed on your objectives, your working methods, your long-term vision. This will form an important basis for your choice of ERP.
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The cost of ERP
Cost is one of the most important ERP selection criteria. Indeed, it is important to have a precise idea of what awaits you in terms of expenses when you decide to implement an ERP. Ask yourself about the cost of acquisition, implementation, training and the overall cost of ownership over the next ten years. Also find out about the expenses that could result from software updates. All of this information will give you more insight and help you make the ERP choice best suited to your financial realities. Remember that choosing your ERP should be a solution and not another problem for the company. It is therefore wise to use the numbers for your choice of ERP.
OTHER ESSENTIAL ERP CHOICE CRITERIA
Apart from the above-mentioned criteria, there are other criteria for choosing an ERP that must be taken into account at all costs when making your choice of ERP. Indeed, these criteria are just as decisive for the choice of the best ERP as the first ones.
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User adoption
The ease or difficulty that users of your ERP software will have in adopting it has a great influence on the ERP choice criteria. It is therefore up to you to analyze the degree of technology available within your company. You need to make sure your colleagues are willing to accept such a change. To do that, you need to be able to prove to them the advantages of the new software over the old one. Keep in mind that adopting a new ERP requires time and new training. It is therefore important to take these factors into account when choosing your ERP. It is recommended to choose an ERP that is easy to adopt by the whole company. Prioritize resellers who may be able to provide technical support during the adoption phase of the new software.
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Agility, flexibility and durability
An ERP system must adapt in the short and medium term to the process of evolution of your company. The best ERP must be adaptable to the unknown, to the unexpected. It must be flexible to incorporate all eventualities that may arise along the way such as the loss of an important customer, a new product, etc. Make sure your new ERP software can keep up with you.
The best ERP must be able to survive over time. It is therefore essential to ask yourself if the software you are about to adopt is developed by a single programmer. You should also find out if this solution has already been adopted by other companies. To do this, all you have to do is read the customer reviews.
SOME SUBSIDIARY CRITERIA
The list of criteria for choosing your ERP software is quite long. It is important to remember that these criteria are as important as each other.
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The cloud or your network?
To choose your ERP software, you must ask yourself about the type of hosting you are planning. Indeed, you have the option of hosting your ERP on the Cloud or on your network. If you decide to use the Cloud to host your software, you should keep in mind that your provider must take care of maintenance and updates. This requires more investment. In addition, it must also support data backup. You must therefore ensure that your software is hosted on high-performance servers. You also need to be sure that the cloud you have chosen fully meets your performance needs.
If you prefer your own network to the cloud, it is imperative to know if the infrastructures available in your company are compatible with such an operation. It is best to ask your dealer to get all the technical tools for you. You will then only have to add memory or even replace a few obsolete stations, if necessary. Better, you will not be obliged to invest for the update of your software. The other advantage of Cloud ERPs is that you can work whenever you want and regardless of your geographic location. However, it is important to ensure that you remain the owner of the data in the event that a dispute arises. Make sure your data is encrypted.
Furthermore, if you already use a cloud within the company for other services, you should check whether the import and export of data is easily achievable.
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Your field of activity
To choose your ERP, you must take into account your field of activity. You need to find out if your industry needs particular elements, a specific ERP, etc. It is strongly advised to choose an ERP software that adapts well to your sector of activity. It goes without saying that there are very specialized ERPs on the market and others with a more general character. By surveying companies similar to yours to find out their ERP, it will be easier for you to choose your software.
WHAT IS THE BEST ERP?
Choosing the best ERP is much more complex than one might imagine. In addition to the ERP choice criteria, specific characteristics must be taken into account to make a good choice.
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Choose your scalable ERP
The best ERP is the one on which it is possible to make changes according to the needs of your business. You know that choosing your ERP is an important investment. It is therefore preferable to opt for a scalable software and to be accompanied by an integrator partner who will be able to enrich your ERP with modules adapted to your needs and your business. You can also opt for complete software available on the market and meeting your requirements.
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Choose your easy-to-maintain ERP
As for any other product, it is important to question the maintenance of your ERP. The best ERP is the one whose maintenance is easy and less expensive. The ideal ERP software must be able to adapt easily to the existing systems in your company. Cloud-based software, for example, can be used regardless of how it evolves. Remember that ERP software is designed to make your life easier.
