HORIZON ERP

Contrary to the beliefs of many, an  ERP implementation  is far more than a large IT project. It affects stakeholders in every functional area, and if it fails, it has dramatic consequences throughout an organization. With that said, an  ERP failure  is not unlike a car crash. Both are disasters that leave trauma and retrospection in their wake. Despite this, there are notable differences between a car crash and an ERP failure that provide important lessons on mitigating risk in the ERP implementation. Heed these lessons and it will avoid the mistakes that lead to ERP crashes. 1.        A car crash happens suddenly . In most cases, car accidents occur in an instant and have little or no warning. ERP failures are preceded by numerous red flags over the course of months or even years. Warnings such as a lack of executive or employee buy-in, inadequate  change management  and unrealistic deadlines are often present l...

An ERP project will succeed or fail based on a number of criteria, not the least of which is the system’s usability. Today’s end-users are accustomed to intuitive, easy to-use interfaces akin to what they experience when using technology in their daily lives. Whether it is an app on their tablet to buy concert tickets or a touch screen on their PC, today’s end-users live in a world where the user interface is clean, simple and intuitive. Unfortunately, there are still many ERP systems out there that are not designed with the end-user in mind. Instead, they look dated, often requiring multiple entry and data points to process information and build out dashboards. A poor interface dramatically impacts end-user buy-in, usage and adoption. In some cases, poor and overly complex user interfaces drive users to not only resist the changes but outright revolt and revert back to workarounds and manual processes. We are often asked about the usability of a system and if it...

Most ERP benefits are well-known but however, it would appear that certain benefits are ignored by clients that is highlighted below:   1. Reduced Operating Costs   ERP solutions are meant to streamline business processes, which can improve customer service and increase revenue. As it turns out, the software can also decrease operating costs. Instead of needing an IT administrator to run reports, ERP solutions make this easy for anyone to accomplish. Additionally, the central storage aspect means employees from different departments can input updated information as they receive it. This removes the need of having focused teams to collect and correct information.  2. Improved Security   Business owners rarely consider the security implications of an ERP system, and when they do, they often make inaccurate assumptions. Business owners can selectively choose who they want to have access to certain information. Additionally, having all of this data c...

Mobility has become a popular trend within the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) space because it presents a variety of benefits for an enterprise, as well as the workers and individuals themselves. Mobile ERP applications allow companies to benefit from improved quality of service, deeper business relationships and more accurate data capture – not to mention access to important data from any location at any time. In the past, ERP systems have generally been accessible remotely through a laptop or desktop with the data stored on hardware. However, with cloud computing on the rise, there is now a huge demand for ERP systems and data to be available on all mobile devices. Having mobile capabilities can also lead to greater productivity, better customer service and improved data capturing, so it’s no wonder why this demand continues to grow. Here are the some factors that make mobile ERP advantageous: Accurate Reporting Mobile ERP gives individua...

ERP systems are helpful for many businesses, but they aren’t typically easy to implement, even for firms that have chosen web-based systems. There are steps that can be taken to drive adoption by making it more employee-friendly. Here are six of those steps. 1.     Build Around the Company Processes Start with the business needs and processes, not the possibilities that come with the ERP system. Too often companies make the mistake of trying to mold their company around the system rather than the other way around. A better starting point would be to take an inventory of job roles and gaps, and then build the ERP solution around the business.  Where appropriate, build the ERP solution around client’s existing processes. When the system offers an improvement, adapt the processes to capabilities to take advantage of what the ERP system has to offer. 2.       Get User Victors at the Beginning   Many firms roll ...