HORIZON ERP

Over the last several months, many ERP software vendors have marketed their fixed-bid implementation services as a way to help their customers manage their enterprise software costs and risk. We have seen vendors offer fixed-cost service contracts in their bids to be competitive in the marketplace. Even if they don’t offer a fixed-bid solution, most vendors will offer implementation services to augment their software licenses. However, what do these vendor implementation contracts really get you? That’s where it gets a little tricky. First of all, it is helpful to understand what is meant by “implementation.” Installing and configuring software is very different than fully implementing ERP software in a way that is going to meet your business needs. In order to manage their own costs and risk, software vendors will typically include technical implementation basics in their scopes of work but often exclude other key activities that will result in problems if not a...

How can a company realize a larger return on investment and business benefits from their investments in their ERP software? This is a topic that most companies enjoy discussing about. Here are three key points: 1. Understand and leverage the functionality you already have.  Many ERP vendors offer a wide array of core functionality, advanced modules, and third-party applications to address the needs of their customer base. So much so, in fact, that many customers don’t fully understand the full breadth of what is right in front of them.  One key lesson for companies is that many broken business processes or perceived weaknesses in the system are often easily addressed by better leveraging functionality that already exists but isn’t necessarily being used by the organization. This can be a more cost effective solution than ripping out and replacing your incumbent ERP software package. 2. It’s never too early or too late to develop your business blueprint. ...

There are numerous emergencies that can hit a company, like natural disasters –flood, hurricane etc., apart from the man- made disasters like hacking, malware attack, virus, fire in the building also carelessness which may lead to server crash, mismanagement of software etc. Many companies actually don’t have an emergency response plan for their ERP systems, data and/or hardware. Even worse?  They think they do . Many believe the protection they have in place to alert them to technical malfunctions or safeguard them from hackers are adequate in the face of natural disaster. But take it from us: they’re typically not. A natural disaster absolutely can wipe out  all  of your systems and result in total and complete ERP failure. And if you don’t have the procedures in place to deal with it, it can take weeks or even months of downtime and millions of dollars before you’re back on track. Not very relaxing is it? Truth is, it’s time to build an ERP (emergency...

Most ERP benefits are well-known but however, it would appear certain benefits are overlooked by clients which must be highlighted as 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. While it may seem like everyone in the company will have access to potentially confidential information, th...

Most ERP project teams understand the value of functional and integration testing. It’s an important pre-go-live step to ensure the software works according to design specs and that data flows accurately through the system. Conference room pilots (CRPs) are also critical to addressing several non-technical critical success factors. However, not all implementations fully leverage the value of CRPs to address these areas, which according to our research, is a key contributing factor to ERP implementation failures. Key Outputs of an ERP Implementation’s Conference Room Pilot 1.      Business process/workflow definition.  CRPs are an ideal time to document detailed business processes and workflows as they will look in the new system. ERP software vendors typically have generic process documentation of how the system works, but it is usually not in the context of the client’s specific processes or presented in a way that users can relate to. Well-defi...

An ERP implementation life cycle refers to the distinct stages in which an organization carries out an ERP implementation. Typically, clients must move through the following seven stages: ·          Pre-Implementation ·          Project Planning ·          Product Education ·          Design Configuration ·          Development and Test ·          Go-Live ·          Post-Implementation The concept of an ERP implementation life cycle is on the minds of many clients during the start of a year.  They are heading into active ERP projects in the New Year, and considering what it means to enter into the various phases of an  ERP implementation . The Start of the ERP Implementation...

Once the organization has worked through these proven methodologies and has selected an ERP system that can meet the performance expectations that stakeholders have identified, it’s then time to consider a checklist for the ERP project kickoff. 1. Start with the ERP Project Charter:   The  ERP project charter  must be completed with client and vendor input and agreement.  The charter must capture the full details of the project.  One of the most important elements is the in-scope/out-of-scope section which clearly articulates what elements are included in the ERP project, and what are out of scope. Another key area thoroughly lists out the software and technical interfaces impacted by the project. Deviation from scope typically results in change orders with the vendor. The charter includes a section that identifies typical workloads for the folks involved with the project.  2. Involve All Key Stakeholders:  In advance of the ERP project ...