What is an ERP Accounting System?

An ERP Accounting System is a useful software to manage financial data and processes of the company. ERP Accounting System includes modules such as SCM (supply chain management), CRM (customer relationship management), Purchasing, Sales, Warehousing, and many more. The ERP Accounting System works by centralizing financial processes from various departments of the company. ERP Accounting System increases the transparency of the financial status of the company. It finishes the complex financial task faster that’s helps to improve decision-making.

ERP Meaning

The ERP System is a software tool for managing businesses of all kinds and sizes. Enterprise Resource Planning software is a broad spectrum tool that comes complete with every business department module. Thus, with ERP system software you can do accounting, warehouse management, purchase and procurement management, financial planning, risk management and compliance, customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, human capital management, and so on. An ERP platform is an all-inclusive system that can gather data from different transactions and scrutinize it thoroughly to remove duplication and other errors.

What is an Accounting System definition?

Every business needs accounting software; wholesale distributors are no exception. It is designed to simplify bookkeeping and accounting tasks. This computer software helps an accountant record and report the financial transactions of the business. Examples of this software are Ximple ERP Accounting system for wholesale distributors niche, FreshBooks, Xero, NetSuite ERP, QuickBooks Online, Tradogram, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, etc. A simple accounting software platform will feature the Expense Principle, Objectivity Principle, Matching Principle, Cost Principle, and Revenue Principle.

ERP accounting system definition

ERP accounting system has a more prominent role to play as compared to an accounting software tool. The latter is a standalone software program that can carry out all business accounting and financial activities. On the other hand, ERP accounting solutions are just a module within a software product that can manage all companies as a single platform. Instead of having one platform that does only accounting and bookkeeping, you can implement an ERP package with this function and more.

The key feature of ERP accounting system

ERP and accounting software should have several features to be considered helpful. These are:

• Internet function – This is to ensure electronic transfer of documents and help control fund transfers
• Encryption – The security of sensitive business data is vital, and a good ERP accounting tool should provide it.
• Automation – Ability to get rid of manual data entry and replace it with automatic data entry that reduces human labor and errors
• Updates – Constant automatic updates feature a must-have. It is a handy tool to inform the user when their tax reporting or other financial practices are due.
• Scalable – It should be an enterprise ERP with an accounting option that should be easily upgraded to include a newer version, new users, new business data or transactions, and more.
• Mobile compatible – In this era of technology, accountants and finance professionals need a software program they can monitor from anywhere anytime they want
• Bespoke – A dependable ERP accounting system should be easy to customize to meet your organization’s needs. If you want to add more capabilities, the tool should support that.
• Integration – It should be a single platform capable of sourcing transactional data from different business processes and storing it in a central location.

Benefits of ERP Accounting System

There are pronounced differences between a business with standalone accounting software and another with an ERP accounting software The latter stands a chance to perform more productively and profitably than the former. When a business runs an enterprise resource planning program with an accounting module, it can expect the following benefits:

• Easier decision-making based on accounting and financial needs An integrated software provides access to accurate and relevant business data. In line with this data, accountants and finance experts can make better budgets and allocate costs appropriately.
• No more duplicate data entry errors Consistency of data coming from various sources can be achieved through software. What’s more, identical mistakes in the data entry process can be avoided.
• Automation of workflows ERP ensures that the entire business processes are done automatically rather than mechanically. By eliminating much human labor, the software
• Create accurate and reliable financial statements Financial reporting is essential and mandatory for companies. When using ERP with an accounting and financial module, you can track financial data from across the organization and use it to generate accurate financial statements.
• Generates real-time updates As an accountant, you can benefit a lot from a software program that constantly updates you on every economic activity that happens. ERP plus an accounting package tool provides real-time updates to help you monitor, measure, and manage various things, including revenues and expenditures.
• Adequate data security. ERP in accounting information systems can ensure top data security. Suppose it is a system from a trustworthy manufacturer. In that case, it will contain a multi-layer security feature that will help you store data and require users to access it only if they are authorized. It keeps the system secure.

Key Modules of ERP Accounting Software

To understand how to use ERP accounting software, you should first know its key modules. These include the following:

• General ledger – Any accounting solution should have a general ledger. An enterprise planning program with an accounting option has it too. It is for managing all financial operations.
• Account Receivable – This has the power to show you every payment that has been made and all pending payments to simplify invoice generation.
• Account Payable – This sub-ledger shows all the monies that you are sending outside your organization. It allows you to monitor all invoices and to pay instantly for new purchases. Account Payable can stop the business from making the mistake of paying for things twice or skipping a payment date.
• Asset management – This feature is necessary when a business is big and has a lot of tangible assets and commodities. Each asset’s life cycle is easy to follow when you have an ERP accounting module with an asset management capability.
• Payroll – This one can help an accountant do computations for employees’ salaries, taxes, leave payments, travel costs, and other staff expenditures.
• Audit – Auditing is an irreplaceable and crucial accounting procedure. Thus, it would be best to have an ERP accounting module with an analytics and audit feature.

ERP Finance System

ERP finance system definition This is a module in the all-purpose Enterprise Resource Planning Software. It allows you to generate accurate financial reports and future projections for the shareholders. In most cases, it forms part of the accounting system. Thus, you will find ERP for finance and accounting on the market.

Key Features of ERP Finance System

When you go window shopping for ERP solutions make sure you select one with a finance management module. Whether combined with accounting or not, the finance application should consist of the following features:

• A profit tracker – This feature is crucial as it will reveal overall business performance in terms of profits. It will indicate precisely where most profits are arising.
• General ledger management – A financier will need it to track assets, liabilities, income and expenditures, capital expenditures, inventory management, and so on. All these in one location can simplify the detection of errors and fraudulent activities.
• Fixed asset management – This is necessary to help you control your tangible assets, calculate depreciation of assets, compute and pay taxes for existing assets, and meet your compliance requirements.
• Risk management – This tool is necessary as business operations are susceptible to all manner of risks. With this function, you can project risks and develop survival techniques to deal with actual threats.
• Reporting and analytics – This tool will provide real-time data graphs to help you make better decisions about your business money.
• Multiple currencies management – This tool will be helpful if your organization deals with worldwide operations. It will do currency conversions to help speed up various transactions in different currencies.
• Tax management – This particular tool should support tax reporting and tax auditing functions.

Benefits of ERP Finance Software

Why would you need an ERP finance module?

• It can help you generate accurate and transparent financial data for the stakeholders
• It can improve productivity by eliminating human errors that can take ages to correct
• You can enhance budgeting and forecasting through analytics and reporting tools.
• Enjoy continuous financial monitoring as monetary transactions happen
• Minimal data entry errors can save much time, a resource you need in other areas of your business
• Enjoy continuous financial monitoring as monetary transactions happen
• You can avoid missing payments through the accounts payable tool
• You can avoid losing money via the accounts receivable tool
• You can track what’s happening in every business section as financial accounting ERP is an integrated system. Just check the General Ledger

How to select the right Accounting and Finance Software?

The right software for accounting and finance can be easy to select if you know the factors to consider. It would be best if you focused on the following:

• Come up with a list of the features you require in your accounting and finance software program.
• Consult your accountants and finance experts to know the features they would recommend.
• Select important add-on features. Read software descriptions to know the additional features it has. You don’t need all of these. So select wisely.
• Compare your budget vs. the actual cost of software online. Select an ERP product that suits your budget and contains the essential features.

How to implement an Accounting system?

Now you have bought a software system for your business. Next, you will carry out the onboarding process, which is all about implementation. Do the following:

• Select a suitable implementation team and have a team leader
• Get support from everyone in the organization by informing them about implementing the new software and why and seeking their feedback.
• Test the architecture of the software before rolling it out.
• Roll out the software in a controlled way. For instance, you can release it to one department first and monitor its performance. If it’s good, release it to the following department. In Short, roll it out in separate phases.
• Offer your employees enough training and tutorials so they can learn how the new system works.
• Has the system customized based on your vendors’ remarks while ensuring it still meets overall business needs

Key Difference between accounting and finance software.

The ERP accounting module will help an accountant capture daily transactional data and save it in various ledgers for easier bookkeeping and periodical release of financial statements like balance sheets and profit/loss accounts. The finance module of Erp will help the financial analyst plan, direct, monitor, organize, and control the monetary resources. They will specifically use past and current financial data to project future cash flows.

Why distributors are migrating to a Cloud-based ERP accounting system.

Cloud computing makes data and software accessible on the internet. Distributors can access it anytime they want using any internet-enabled device. As the books of accounting are maintained online, they can be accessed via a web browser or a mobile app. Distributors are ever on the move and can benefit a lot from using an ERP accounting information system that can be accessed from any place anytime. Besides, every authorized user in a distribution chain can access the accounts online.

ERP Vs Accounting Software – Major Differences

Is there a difference between accounting software and ERP? Are you better off using both separately or just the ERP? In ERP vs. accounting, ERP is helpful because it represents everything that happens everywhere in an organization. Accountants need this data to do bookkeeping and create periodic financial statements that financial analysts need during budgeting and forecasting. When using a standalone accounting system, they need to get the data personally from each department. On the other hand, if their software is a module in the ERP, they don’t have to get in touch with other department leaders to ask for data. It will be accessible to them and anyone who is authorized to use the ERP.

How does ERP help in accounting?

An ERP application is vital in accounting. It can help accountants in multiple ways, including managing payments, allocating costs to different production activities, budgeting, and estimating capital requirements and management. It eliminates manual handling of data, which reduces human errors that can be costly to remove. They can use it for tracking profits and losses as well as support invoicing and cost analysis.

Conclusion. If you are in the wholesale distribution business, you have a wide range of options to select the ideal technological platform for your ERP accounting and finance system. Most modern ERP such as Ximple ERP for Wholesale Distribution offers On-Premise and cloud-based Financial and accounting software (SaaS).

In an On-Premise Accounting and Finance system, the Customer manages both the Software and the technology infrastructure (Hardware). This level of control enables the Customer to customize the software to suit their unique accounting processes. This flexibility comes at the cost of managing the unfamiliar terrain of managing the IT infrastructure.

In a Cloud-based Accounting and Financial system, the software vendor manages, both software and hardware. The Customer can configure the Accounting and Finance Software to meet their wholesale distribution business requirements. There is limited flexibility in customizing the application to meet the unique business processes. In some cases, the Customer will need to modify their business processes to suit the operations supported by the Software vendor.

The primary benefits of   Cloud-based SaaS Accounting and Finance Software include significant cost savings and reduced complexity in managing IT infrastructure. Whether you choose a Cloud or On-premise platform, it’s essential to identify your critical business requirements and ensure that the Accounting and Finance system you select can efficiently meet those needs. By focusing on these factors, you can optimize your financial management and achieve greater operational efficiency.

Posted on April 12, 2021September 27, 2024

What is ERP Consulting? How to Choose an ERP Consultant

How to Select Your Ideal ERP Consulting Firm

ERP Consultant can help distributors to find the Right ERP Software. If appropriately managed, a wholesale distribution business can be very lucrative. It can grow fast and expand its operations to new regions. On the contrary, poor management of a wholesale distribution business can lead to losses that eventually cause business closure. Management can get more complicated as challenges increase. Below challenges faced by Wholesalers and distributors could be mitigated by leveraging ERP Consulting, Selecting the next generation of ERP Software, and implementing Cloud-based Platform Services:

• Massive competition from large manufacturers with the ability to do direct distribution of goods.
• Retailers who depend on wholesalers and distributors shorten their delivery dates and enforce stricter penalties on those who don’t adhere.
• Fluctuations in fuel prices are happening faster than ever before, making it hard for some distributors to cope. Wholesalers have to transport goods from point A to point B, and if the cost of fuel goes up, their overall expenditures go up as well.
• Wholesalers and distributors deal with warehousing, handling, and transportation of goods. All three roles are super sensitive as goods can get stolen or damaged, leading to losses. Moreover, system failures can offer sneaky workers a chance to pilfer some items.

Although ERP cannot eliminate an issue like changing fuel prices, it can improve your management role. As it is an all-encompassing tool, you can get real-time views of what’s happening in various departments: Accounting and finance, inventory management, warehouse management, sales and marketing, and project management, among others. As a result, you can avoid costly human errors as well as cope with unscrupulous workers.

ERP Consultant: What does an ERP Consultant do types of ERP Consultants…Functional consultant, technical consultant, Qualifications, experience, and benefits

What does an ERP consultant do exactly? An ERP consultant plays several roles. Their primary role is to conduct thorough research and suggest solutions to help improve the business’s operations that have hired them. Other duties include:

• Helping organizations select the best ERP software tools
• Assisting companies to implement and start using ERP systems
• Helping businesses using legacy software systems upgrade to ERP solutions.
• Assisting a company’s technical team in dealing with change management
• Working with ERP software systems.

Independent ERP consultants carry out different tasks when hired or outsourced. They are competent in other areas and come in two categories. These are:

Functional consultants

A functional consultant is also referred to as a business consultant. Their level of qualification is higher as far as understanding ERP software systems. Their functional knowledge is broad enough to help teams implement new ERP software, migrate from an older system to new ERP software or upgrade an existing ERP system. They understand how various business processes work together between different modules and can get your business the most suitable solution.
So far, you know the leading ERP functional consultant roles and responsibilities.

Technical Consultant

This professional is different from an ERP professional in that they are trained to offer technical support. They are the ones you need to hire when your systems stop working correctly as they can figure out the cause and remove it. Besides eliminating bugs and other glitches, an ERP techno technical consultant understands the process of installing and improving existing systems’ technical aspects. They are requested to install new ERPs or rectify old ones by different businesses with varied approaches and roles, and they can do it.

If you are going to select an ERP consultant, decide on the type you want first. Then check their qualifications to determine if they are fit for your business. Things to look for are:

• Top-notch listening and communication skills
• Ability to teach flawlessly
• Writing creativity and precision.
• Thorough technical skills and knowledge
• Industry-specific qualifications
• Excellent social skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Leadership and teamwork skills.

ERP Consulting Needs for a Distribution business?

Did you know that ERP consulting is critical professional to ERP implementation success?
Consultancy gurus know everything concerning ERP software and can oversee an implementation process for SMEs and large businesses. When looking for a consultant to help you, consider that they can:

• Simplify a very complicated ERP project. It is easy to get overwhelmed by an ERP project as it encompasses all areas of your organization. To stay on a budget, get a consultant to offer guidance and remove complexities from your project’s technical and functional aspects.
• Offer vast knowledge. As a small or medium-sized business struggling with business capital, you may not afford to hire a qualified ERP employee. You are the best outsourcing a third party with a strong track record and proper certification.
• Offer industry-specific ERP help. They can help with selection and implementation help.
• Help your organization reduce risks. They can do this during the ERP implementation process and help you avoid high error correction costs in the future.
• Offer consistent support. Soon after completing ERP software installation and it is up and running, a consultant can proceed to offer consistent software support.

How to Choose an ERP consultant for your distribution business?

Concerning how to choose an ERP consultant, there are a few factors to consider. The first one is the type of consultant you want. Do you need a technical or a functional consultant? As many people offer Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Consultant services online, you should call a few and screen them based on a selection criterion that works for your business. This criterion should be created based on overall organizational ERP needs, current business resources, and organizational culture, among other things. Ideally, you want to outsource someone with:

• Years of experience in their consultancy role
• Runs a financially stable service business
• Has been recommended by your friends.
• Specializes in installing ERP for your sector or niche
• Matches your business culture

Management Consultants

A management consultant can work with your company to enhance its performance through expert advice and problem-solving skills. Management consultants can check problematic areas and offer excellent solutions. They are an asset in guiding and advising the top management about big projects like ERP implementation projects

How ERP Consulting can help distributors find the Right ERP Software

To get software that can fulfill your business needs, hire top ERP consultants from your region or any country in the world. The outsourced professional can do the following on your behalf:

• Define and analyze your business processes, weaknesses, and strengths
• Assess your current technical infrastructure and determine if it’s ready for ERP software adoption
• Estimate the total cost of introducing the ERP software role
• Oversee employee’s change management
• Create a logical ERP implementation plan
• Measure the benefits of the new system against the metrics your business has set
• Select a software tool that is going to give your unique business competitiveness on the market.

Defining your Requirements

As with any ERP idea, the first thing to do is define your needs. Ask each functional group to list specific and measurable needs that the ERP will benefit those departments and the whole enterprise. Hold meetings and share these lists. In the end, you have to consensus on some of the requirements that the whole organization agrees on and prioritize the list and must-have items and nice to have items both shown. These requirements for your ERP are yours. Any advisors you bring help you for choose the right ERP and guide you to meet those needs by adjusting the ERP properly.

How much does ERP consulting cost?

One primary consideration that your enterprise should make before executing ERP is the ERP consultant’s salary. Mostly, the salary is counted based on the consultant’s time investment. The longer the ERP process, the more you are going to pay the consultant you will choose. Usually, consultants publish their hourly rates online. To compute the actual money you will spend, multiply the project length in months or weeks with a consultant’s hourly rate. Also, the type of consultancy you need will affect the hourly rate. For instance, an Oracle ERP technical consultant might charge a higher hourly rate than a sage consultant. The location of your consultant matters too. For example, an outsourced ERP expert from India may have a lower hourly rate than a company offering ERP consulting in USA services.

ERP upgrade consulting. Migration or Replacement.

Perhaps you have already established a properly running ERP software system. Now you want to update it so that missing things can be added and wrong items can be removed. You can plan your upgrades as a preventative measure, and therefore you will do them voluntarily. This can be beneficial because errors that were about to happen could be found and solved. New software modules can be added. Another way is to conduct involuntary upgrades and, in this case, have no other choice. A severe problem must occur before a forced upgrade, also called a forced upgrade. For instance, your software provider might withdraw their support service for an older system and force you to upgrade. Either way, you will need the assistance of the best ERP consultant.

Legacy ERP migration consulting

Do you own a legacy software system? If so, you should update the system with the assistance of a consultant. They will assist with the migration of data from your legacy system to a modern cloud-based ERP system. Their work will entail the following duties:

• Data migration from your old legacy system to the new ERP system
• Assess your current infrastructure and suggest ways to make it ready for a cloud-based solution
• Oversee change management to ensure that employees adapt themselves quickly to the new solution
• Carry out the entire customization work to ensure the newly shifted system works flawlessly
• Provide resilient support during the migration process.

Distribution ERP Consulting

Distributors endure unique challenges, especially if they have many distribution channels. With a perfectly integrated ERP software tool, they can optimize their supply chains and overall operations. To know the best software to select, then select the best ERP consulting group.
It will identify, create, and implement an ERP solution that will meet all your predetermined business needs.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve gained valuable insights into ERP consultancy from our guidance. When the time comes to implement new ERP software, upgrade existing systems, or transition from a legacy ERP system, knowing how to find the best ERP software consultant for your organization is crucial.

Ximple excels in driving digital transformation in the global wholesale distribution industry. Our experienced Distribution ERP consultants can work alongside your internal IT staff to replace or migrate from outdated Legacy ERP software to a cutting-edge Cloud-based ERP system. The Ximple team is equipped to help you evaluate the latest technological options, provide innovative software solutions, and recommend strategies to enhance productivity, reduce inventory, and maintain a competitive edge.

Posted on April 7, 2021September 27, 2024

9 Key ERP Implementation Phases and Methodology

It’s important to know the ERP Implementation Phases because nowadays COVID pandemic has accelerated Digitization, Digitalization, and Digital Transformation plans for many Wholesale Distributors. Wholesale Distributors have suddenly understood that Technology can improve efficiencies, and reduce inventory and profitability. Technology no longer looks esoteric.

The last ten years have seen many technologies and ideas mature from the Proof of Concept (POC) phase to become ‘Industry Ready.’ Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Remote Collaboration, Machine Learning, Robotics Process Automation, Industrial IoT, and Blockchain have demonstrated their value to the early adopters who made these technologies a part of their day-to-day activities. The information and intelligence provided by these technologies have added value to the adopters.

As Wholesale Distributors get ready to implement Industry 4.0 technologies, it’s essential to upgrade or migrate their Legacy ERP to Cloud-based ERP. Next-Generation Cloud ERP offers distributors many challenges and opportunities. Technological decision markers need to understand ERP implementation processes. Here, we take the opportunity to clarify all concepts related to “ERP Implementation.”

What are ERP Implementation Phases?

First, ERP refers to Enterprise Resource Planning. It is business software for automating various business departments. There are industry-specific ERP software versions. Once you decide to obtain this software, go for an Industry-specific ERP tool. For instance, choose distributor ERP software if you do distribution business. After locating the best software provider, the next big step is implementation. It is the process of installing software, configuring options and settings,

and migrating data from your old software systems to the newly launched ERP. ERP Implementation phases are fulfilled with specific methodologies.

ERP Software Implementation Phases

The process of adopting ERP consists of different phases or steps. You should not entertain failure because you will require more of your resources to correct it later on. Without further fuss, here are the ERP implementation phases:

Phase 1: Project authorization

At this point, a decision to buy ERP has been made, and it’s pending approval by the senior management. Once the CEO approves the project idea, they will ask the Chief financial officer to sign the contract. Their signature will authorize the purchase and implementation of a new software tool.

Phase 2: Official launching of the project

In this ERP Implementation Phase, the project begins officially. The company chooses the in-house team and external professionals that should oversee and carry out the entire process.

Phase 3: An analysis of actual requirements from the ERP

In this step, the team responsible for the entire term the process would take identifies the things the software should help the business do.
At the end of this phase, the team should already have an official report or document that requires approval and signed by top management.

Phase 4: The new software design is agreed upon

After gathering all the requirements, the next thing is to customize the software to ensure it meets every need. Sloppiness in this step is one reason why ERP implementations fail. This role is played by the expert developer you chose in Phase 2. They must choose the most suitable type of programming to do to meet the requested needs. The in-house team leader will then alert the top management about the developer’s decision for their approval.

Phase 5: The new software is configured

This refers to the actual installation and configuration of the software. This step requires software engineers to slot in the software for every requested need. The developers should create some of the most crucial documents for your company, including a purchase order form.

Phase 6: Testing the software after setting it up

User acceptance testing (UAT) is a very critical stage of a successful ERP implementation process. The software has been designed, installed, and configured to suit organizational needs. The UAT phase is imperative because it entails test-running the software. Testers should be selected carefully, and some of them should be IT professionals. Please don’t make the mistake of choosing novices as they will miss some essential software errors or viruses. This will cost you a lot of time and money to repair later on.

Phase 7: Training your employees

After the testing phase is over and everything looks great, the next thing to do is train your employees. They will be using the software, and it makes sense to orientate them at this point. Staff that play a role in distributing goods should be trained to use the new software tool.

Phase 8: Software integration and migration

If you have other software tools on your premises, they should be able to work harmoniously with your newly installed ERP. This step may also be done in phase 3. It is all about pinpointing software tools that can be migrated to the ERP system. Data migration will entail shifting the organization’s data from the old system to the new ERP software. Data can be shipping orders, customer forms, accounting data, sales reports, and so on.

Phase 9: Launch your New ERP system

Everything has been done by now, including project management. The software is ready to go live. This phase is super important as it marks the beginning of better performance and higher efficiency in every department. The software implementation team should hang around for a while to help employees get used to using the new software.

ERP Implementation Methodology

If your ERP execution process fails the first time you try it, many resources will be wasted. It will take your business a lot of time to recover the lost capital. To prevent this, choose the best ERP implementation approaches. The main ones are 3:

Phased methodology

In this one, a developer focuses on executing software in phases. They choose one phase or department and shift all their attention to it. Once they finish with that one, they select the following department. This approach can make the implementation procedure longer than necessary but pose fewer risks and enable quick correction of errors. It also provides the team experience it would need in the subsequent phases.

Parallel methodology

In this one, developers implement the new ERP software while letting the older ones run. This parallel approach reduces implementation risks as a critical issue arises, and the business can continue running its older software system. A similar approach is associated with technical complexities and high costs.

Big Bang methodology

Developers deploy software for the whole organization at once. Unlike the other two methodologies, the Big Bang ERP implementation approach allows developers to deploy the tool across business departments or functions. This is the most complicated methodology and requires adequate planning and expert guidance to avoid costly mistakes. It is, however, the best when you need to save deployment time and overall cost.

ERP Implementation Benefits

There are several advantages you can get from implementing ERP software. They are briefly outlined next:

• Once installed and configured, ERP will get rid of repetitive procedures and boost efficiency.
• ERP can make every department more productive by automating tasks that need a lot of human time and labor.
• ERP software is customizable. It can be altered to suit specific business needs.
• The tool can remove administration and operation costs.
• It is scalable.
• Enables collaboration between departments
• Company data is kept in a single centralized database.

ERP implementation Cost

There is no standard ERP system implementation cost for every business. This is because every business is unique and has its own needs. To discover these needs and budget for them, come up with a plan. There are two pricing models too, and each can influence the overall cost. These are:

On-premise system or perpetual licensing model

our business will host the new ERP tool on its servers. If yours is a large business, the on-premise system is the best pick as you already have servers and other essential infrastructures. With this, the license is yours totally and forever. The initial setup cost will be hefty, though.

The Saas (Cloud ERP) subscription model

Also called a cloud-based system, this model is the best for small and medium-sized businesses. The software will be paid for in small installments every month and will never be yours. However, you can use it flawlessly and safely as it is cloud-based. It is the cheapest to implement of the two.

ERP in the Distribution industry

The first thing that the wholesale distributor ERP software could do to your business is to keep it ahead of the competition. Once you automate your distribution function, it will become more efficient and reliable. Goods will arrive at the desired destinations quickly, satisfying all customers. Distribution software encompasses all areas of your business, allowing you to have a single platform that meets everyone’s needs. When it comes to choosing ERP implementation types, you should be guided by your operations’ size and the amount of capital you have. If you are already a large business and can take a considerable risk, choose the Big Bang deployment method. Otherwise, the most advisable approach is the phased methodology.

Considerations for small and medium distributors implementing a New ERP software

As a small and medium business, your new ERP should help streamline and improve your operations. As your budget is tight, you can make mistakes when selecting and implementing your ERP tool. Your employees are few and might not have adequate IT expertise to supervise an ERP implementation process flow. So you need to outsource the role to a third-party expert to help you come up with a good implementation plan and team.

How to Avoid failures in ERP implementation Phases

Next, find out how to avoid failure while implementing new ERP software:

• Get top management’s approval and consistent support to avoid wasting business resources.
• There are three principal ERP execution methodologies. Select one based on your preparedness to take risks to resist the failure of the whole process.
• Waiting to test-run a finished process and correcting errors when they are too costly to get rid of should be avoided. Correct in the course of the lengthy process.
• Plan for long-term needs as ERP implementation is an expensive procedure to repeat all over again.

Successful ERP implementation

If you want to do a successful process, follow the simple steps listed next:

• Define the scope, needs, and vision of ERP software. Use a team of experts.
• Choose a complete application developer for the installation phase
• Select your application analysts very carefully as they are the ones responsible for successful data migration.
• Use a quality assurance testing engineer for the User Acceptance Testing phase.
• Initiate change management so carefully to help the employees accept change. It would be best if you used training tools that work.
• Select a methodology that suits your business type, size, and financial stability.
• Offer ongoing support to ensure the implementation process ends well.

Conclusion

During ERP software implementation, wholesale distributors should strive for excellence to avoid costly and time-consuming errors post-launch. It’s crucial to prevent mistakes by ensuring a smooth implementation process. For smaller companies with limited IT expertise, consider outsourcing the ERP implementation to a team of experienced professionals. This approach helps mitigate issues and ensures a successful ERP system deployment.

Posted on April 7, 2021September 27, 2024