Have you been feeling overwhelmed with your existing ERP system and need to know if it is the right time to make a change? You’re not the only one.
Forrester Research put out a statistic from a few years back that has been widely cited ever since, and it states that–
“over half of the people who use ERP software are using outdated systems.Many as much as 4 years old or more.”
The main reason for this is probably that most small business leaders claim that they don’t have the time, budget or staff to make a major change and update their ERP system. Essentially they have never found the opportune time to implement a new system.
Updating your ERP system can be a bit intimidating, and it is an investment, as it can be expensive and time-consuming.
Most people don’t consider just how much this investment will positively impact their business. The efficiency you gain as well as the improvement to your business operations will help your business tremendously in the long term. But we understand that the long-term benefit of implementing new software might not be enough to incentivize people to jump on board right away. The main reason people stay with their outdated software is that changing the software definitely affects your entire organization. There is a lot of time, training and interruption to your business that you will have to anticipate, but it will be worth it in the long run. Here are a few signs that it’s time to make the switch to Cloud ERP software:
- Small setbacks are starting to add up: It’s probably no secret that there are easier ways to accomplish your various business tasks. Technology changes at the drop of a hat, and inefficiencies turn into hidden costs associated with non-cloud ERP software faster than you can blink an eye. When your ERP system is outdated, you have to use your time and resources working on the maintenance of the software instead of using your valuable time and resources to focus on much more important problems.
- Your ERP capability doesn’t stack up: When you decided to purchase an ERP system it was because you needed help managing your company as it began to experience a lot of growth. But if your maintenance fees and limited-user licensing fees are adding up as you bring on more employees, your ERP system probably doesn’t scale very well. The main goal of ERP is to enable and integrate growth, not inhibit it or create even more work for your team.
- You aren’t able to satisfy your customer’s needs: Customers, suppliers and partners alike all need direct access to billing, shipping and information about inventory. If customers need to call someone at your organization to get the answers they need, this is a waste of both your time and theirs. Legacy ERP systems were not made to have multiple users access the system – and thus are not really designed for satisfying customer service type needs. Cloud ERP systems are made for users to get access to the system whenever and wherever they need to. This ensures that the data they are seeing is updated in real-time. If you are unable to provide these capabilities to your customers, they may take their business to your competitors.