3 questions to help you get the best solution for your company
For an ERP solution to do you the most good, it has to be tailored to the specific needs of your industry—and your company. Your current software—or some of the software that you're considering—might need to be modified to align with your company's processes. Here are examples of instances in which a system may need modifications so that it work the way your people do:
- System forms for invoices, pick lists and packing slips because don't match you company or customer needs
- Data-entry screens don't correspond to your shipping methods, product categories, and currency codes
- Financial reports may not reflect the categories and measures that may be uniquely important to you
Customizing your ERP software can maximize its benefits to you—but, sometimes, at the cost of locking you into software and vendor relationships that don't meet your long-term needs. So, how can you get a solution that can deliver superb value and is flexible enough to grow with you over time? Consider the three important questions outlined in this article to help ensure that you invest in a system that will meet your ongoing business needs.
Microsoft's solutions—Microsoft Dynamics NAV—achieves the balance between customization and flexibility.
- Is the software customizable?
With dynamics NAV it is easy to make both minor and major modifications to match the way your employees work.
- Is it easy to make minor modifications to match the way your employees work?
if your ERP software is designed properly the most important modifications you may need in an ERP solution can also be the easiest to achieve. Dynamics NAV enables you to adapt the user interface easily without having to know about code.
This type of modification enables you to tailor your solution not only for your company, but also for distinct groups within your company. Your warehouse and sales staffs, for example, may both need to view inventory data—but they’ll be looking at that data in different ways and for different reasons. Letting each group see only what it needs to see enables everyone to get to the information they need more quickly, making them more productive.
You are able to easily extend your data entry screens: hiding and revising menus, changing data labels and fields and setting defaults to reflect your most commonly used settings.
- Will it integrate with your system?
Dynamics NAV enables you to integrate your ERP solution easily with other software and technologies that your company uses, so you can take advantage of the IT investments you've already made. If you’re like the vast majority of businesses today, you’re using Microsoft Office System software to communicate with people inside and outside of your company, to analyze information, and to create documents and presentations. How easy is it for your employees to use Microsoft Office products together with the ERP solution to get their jobs done in the most effective way?
- Do you have an experienced technology partner?
A technology partner who understands your industry, company, and local business requirements can be invaluable in helping you and tailor an ERP solution to fit your specific needs.
While the right ERP solution, like ProStrategy, will make it easy for you to make adaptations and to integrate with Microsoft Office System software, you will most likely want to turn to a value-added reseller, or other third-party IT provider, to adapt the solution to meet your exact needs.
That’s because the right partner will have not just the technical expertise to modify at the database level, but also the knowledge of your industry and local business environment to give you a head-start on the modifications that are right for you.