ERP System Selection We have prepared a four part series on behalf of CAmagazine on best practice in selecting a new ERP System. System selection, done right — Part 1 Anyone who has been involved in selecting software knows the road is strewn with pitfalls — many of which we covered in “The top 10 software selection mistakes” . But how do you avoid those mistakes altogether? In the next few columns, we hope to shed some light on the subject… System selection, done right — Part 2 The whole selection process will take a minimum of three to four […]
ERP Case Studies
ERP Case Studies 180 Systems will be writing a series of case studies different than the paid-for marketing material available from vendors. Our case studies are unbiased based on our interviews, and we have not received any compensation for them. Blue Link Morrison Lamothe Why Work with Independent ERP Consultants? At 180 Systems, we are independent ERP selection consultants and do not sell or implement any product or accept any compensation from vendors or implementers for our advice or services. Our only goal is to help you choose the right system and optimize your ERP investment. Contact 180 Systems […]
ERP Reviews
Some of our reviews are a few years old but they should still provide a good starting point in your evaluation. We are now in the process of updating our reviews. Stay tuned. Our reviews are unbiased and we are not compensated by the vendors for our analysis. Blue Link – 2013 NetSuite – 2012 See our comprehensive review at ERP Selection Tool. Why Work with Independent ERP Consultants? At 180 Systems, we are independent ERP selection consultants and do not sell or implement any product or accept any compensation from vendors or implementers for our advice or services. Our […]
ERP Customer Survey
2013 CAmagazine Article A number of years ago we conducted a customer survey on behalf of CAmagazine to see how well users like their systems, as well as their views on the developers and implementation partners. We also asked for feedback about return on investment and future plans. The article is available by clicking here. But CAmagazine has been outsourced and rebranded to Pivot Magazine with different objectives such that we no longer publish articles for it. 2020 ERP Customer Survey We are now asking visitors to the site to rate their existing ERP system. By participating in this survey, we […]
ERP Whitepaper
How to Select and Implement an ERP System ERP is a term that is widely used but still not well understood. Although ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) was initially targeted to manufacturing companies, today it encompasses software that can be used across an enterprise. Table of Contents in the Whitepaper What is ERP? Analysis Vendor Selection Vendor Demonstrations Reference Calls Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Implementation Click here to obtain the ERP Whitepaper. Why Work with Independent ERP Consultants? At 180 Systems, we are independent ERP selection consultants and do not sell or implement any product or accept any compensation from […]
Reference Checks
A Reference Check is a must for any software selection. It’s easy to do and you could be very surprised at the results Why You may think that there’s no point in doing a reference call as the references are coming from the vendor. You’re probably thinking that the vendor has only selected the customers that are happy. For all you know, there are only a few happy references. So you might decide to skip the reference call in the selection of a new system. That would be a big mistake. It’s my experience that reference calls provide useful information, […]
Business Process Improvement (BPI)
In the past, BPI was called Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), which many people think is a euphemism for layoffs. BPR was also supposed to involve radical change. Today, you hear less about BPR and more about BPI because BPR has bad connotations. BPI is not about layoffs or radical change. What is BPI BPI is about gradual improvement of business process. A business case should determine whether the change is warranted. BPI is not just for large organizations. There are opportunities for BPI everywhere in any sized organization. But often these opportunities are undetected or ignored. Why? One reason is […]
Change Management
Change management is critical to the success of any project and especially to the implementation of a new system. Are employees resistant to change? There is a widely held view that employees are inherently resistant to change. I disagree. Employees are resistant to change only when it will adversely affect them. If a new system could eliminate their jobs, do you blame them? But if the change does not threaten their jobs, they are more likely to accept and even welcome the change. New systems can make employees more marketable, eliminate the drudgery of inefficient manual processes and allow them […]
ERP Business Case
The problem with busines cases are usually not the calculations but in the underlying assumptions. There is also the lack of independence factor that will find a way to make the models and statistics work in a favourable way. What is included in a business case? A business case usually contains a number of sections, including executive summary, objectives, methodology, cash flow, return on investment (ROI), assumptions, in-tangible benefits and recommendations, as well as appendices for the preliminary work done, such as a business process review and the request for proposals. Independence is Key Sometimes the compelling business case in […]
Total Cost of Ownership
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) TCO is a very good way to evaluate the costs related to a new system. You need to include not just the software license costs, but also all the other direct and indirect costs. Sometimes vendors will give a low-ball cost for software, but will make up for it in later charges. You don’t want any cost surprises part way through an implementation. What can you do? Steps to Calculating TCO Avoid ambiguity You need to be very specific about your needs so that there is a minimum of ambiguity. If there is ambiguity, the […]