What are some tips for a successful SAP implementation?
- Define Your Goals and Objectives
- Find a Competent Project Manager
- Begin with the Company’s Core Functions
- Be as Involved and Transparent as Possible
- Test the System
- Train Your Employees
There are many advantages to implementing a powerful ERP solution like SAP Business One for your company. It helps simplify many complex processes from accounting to marketing to human resources.
However, it is still inevitable for you to run into obstacles during the implementation process. This article offers you some tips for a successful SAP implementation. Keep reading to learn more!
Define Your Goals and Objectives
Every business has its reasons to implement an ERP solution in the workplace. So, these must be defined before implementation begins. Doing this helps the entire team define what exactly you need and how the software can help you.
When looking at the goals and objectives, determine ways on how the ERP solutions can help you achieve this. Team leaders can do this by analyzing their employee’s key performance indicators. This gives them a glance at the various projects they need to do and how the solution can help them.
Will implementing this ERP solution help an accounting team produces reports? Can the Human Resources department onboard or deal with invoices better? Questions like this help teams determine just how much the implementation can help them.
Aside from goals and objectives, businesses can also assess the processes of different departments. Determine whether or not this implementation will be able to simplify various processes and make work more productive and efficient for all employees.
Find a Competent Project Manager
At the helm of every new project should be a qualified and competent manager. This person ensures that everything goes smoothly from the planning sessions to the actual implementation.
When looking for a project manager, it’s better to find someone who possesses the proper expertise and knowledge for the job. If you’ll be implementing SAP Business One as your ERP solution, your project manager should be someone knowledgeable of its functions and their importance to the company.
Apart from that, a project manager should also be communicating and managing a team. This can make the implementation of the entire project quicker and more efficient. The project manager can easily define everyone’s roles and make sure that everything is accomplished on time.
Begin with the Company’s Core Functions
There are many departments in a business even in small and medium enterprises. The goal of an ERP solution is to centralize all of this into one digital platform. However, it may be too overwhelming for some. At times like this, it may help to focus on the core functions of business instead.
Prioritizing what functions to implement can help eliminate the distractions of the project. It can be difficult to implement a very complex system, however, some solutions like SAP Business One can map these out to help you simplify and customize it to your preferences.
Be as Involved and Transparent as Possible
That said, you can’t simply just give a list of goals and some information on your business processes and be done with your SAP implementation. This is especially important if you’re working with an IT consultant to create the framework for your company.
We highly recommend being as involved in this process as possible. SAP, after all, is all about your business, so it should reflect your current setup and core competencies.
You need to be thorough about explaining what it is your business does, what you need the software to do, and what pain points you’re dealing with.
Being as detailed as possible can help us identify the right workflows for your business. And, it’ll help us make sure every business-critical task can be done more quickly and more efficiently through SAP. It’s essential for creating a smooth and hassle-free transition to using this software, and ensuring that there are no hiccups that your business has to deal with later on.
Test the System
Once the configuration of your system is accomplished, many companies can be tempted to proceed with implementation. This is not advisable especially if you’re adapting it into everyone’s daily routine.
Instead, test the system out to see if it can handle all processes at once. This testing process can begin with a small team where you test out a few departments. With each phase completed, you can slowly add more departments to your test.
This step will also give you insight into how the software will be handled by the team. You will be able to foresee possible obstacles and find solutions for them even before their formal implementation.
Eventually, a test with the entire workload should be done as well.
During this testing phase, we suggest keeping the same level of involvement and transparency with your SAP partner as you did while explaining your operations, goals, and needs. Being forthcoming about the issues you have with how the software is set up will allow these issues to be addressed much more quicker.
Train Your Employees
The implementation of an ERP solution does not end without the employees receiving proper training. Remember that this is an entirely new process that people are not familiar with.
Many may be frustrated in the beginning in understanding the new processes. That’s why it is vital to include training sessions to help make this transition easier for them.
During these sessions, each department can be briefed on how they can transfer their daily tasks to the ERP solutions. Data migration may need to take place for them to integrate files that were in their old software and programs. After, they’ll be oriented on how to make use of the solution for their daily deliverables and tasks.
Training the team is the first step in being able to use the new system efficiently and effectively. If needed, your company can hire ERP professionals to brief them so that they are provided with a holistic understanding of the curve.
After the training, give the entire company team to adjust to the new way of working. There may be a learning curve in the beginning, but in the long run, it can simplify and centralize all core functions of the company.
Key Takeaway
There were some tips for SAP implementation. Integrating these into your processes can help make the transition to the software easier for the entire team. If you’re looking to implement SAP Business One in your own company, contact us here at DynamIQ.
We are an IT solutions company in the Philippines that you can think of as your SAP consultant. We work closely with you to understand your business down to the smallest detail — which is key for making an exhaustive SAP blueprint that standardizes your work, and maximizes its potential for your business! Message us today, and our team will be more than happy to explain what we can do for you.
