How can you make the ERP Implementation Process more efficient?

We are living in the 21st century, when we were supposed to live in skyscrapers and have spaceships instead of regular cars, flying being the norm, yet here we are, stuck in paperwork and bureaucracy. Today, even more than ever, we can see this due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic upon the entire world. The construction industry is now forced to shut down instead of working remotely by having the tools and solutions that could save their companies. A construction ERP solution can help you battle against Coronavirus. We are here to help you out and give you some tips and tricks on the construction ERP implementation Process: Dos and Don’ts.

Do’s:

1. Devotion and Dedication from the Project Sponsor – Any software you choose will fail unless the Project Sponsor takes the ownership of the process and makes sure that the company and each team will commit all resources necessary to make the solution work!
2. Selecting “The Champion” & “The Admin” – You need to make sure you select the right people to be involved in the process. People that care about the company, the process, and the way that your business is run. They need to understand thoroughly what is needed from the solution. They need to be able to dedicate their time and energy in working with the Implementation Team during the Implementation Process – they will make sure the construction management software UK based is fitted to your company’s needs and wants! Their involvement is key in getting the construction ERP solution properly implemented!
3. Properly Document ALL your processes! – Many construction management software UK based focus on the Implementation Process as much time as possible. Setting up things from scratch, making sure they are fitted correctly to the client’s needs is crucial. Archdesk, a good fit for General Contractor management needs, likes to focus on the processes inside your company. There is no “one size fits all” solution, and during the Implementation Process, their team looks at the types of projects and what processes attach themselves to these projects. The software of your choice should allow you to model the solution after you, not force itself and how it works over your processes (over your way of working).
4. Communicate, Communicate, COMMUNICATE! It is crucial that during the ERP Implementation Process the flow of information should be constantly monitored. The Implementation Team and the Change Champion need to stay close and constantly keep the information flowing. The consultant implementing the solution must understand deeply how the company works, and the Change Champion should be there to guide him along the way. Depending on the time and patience invested by the Change Champion and Admin, you will have, in the end, a well-established machine that will keep your projects rolling.
5. Training opportunities – During the implementation process, the consultant will configure the system to your needs by extracting the data needed from the Change Champion and future Admin of the software. You should have a System Walkthrough, where your team will be able to see the systems feature, and then an Online/Onsite Training – a deep dive into the construction management software solution of your choice. It would be helpful if, while prospecting, you would also check a few relevant points for the future. Aftercare options, how will the support queries be sent? Do they have a Knowledge Database? Is it static or ever-expanding? Do they blog about topics of interest to your company? Can you have extra training sessions (if such need would arise)?

Don’ts:

1. Set Your Expectations Over The Roof! – Make sure your team, and yourself, have the expectations set up correctly for this piece of construction software that you will choose. It will not perform miracles by itself and you will have to work alongside it to make it work. Less work, true, less time consuming, but at the beginning – during the implementation process – you will have to struggle alongside the consultant to make it work perfectly (as a perfect fit) for your business. What kind of effect should this construction ERP system have over your company? How should it prepare you for the future? What would you like the Implementation Team to do? Be clear about this from the beginning and communicate openly!
2. Mindlessly copy-paste the processes/departments you have now – This is a great time to think through your Processes and comb them down: the good, the bad, the ugly. The inconsistent ones need reformatting. How would the best-case scenario look like? How would the optimal processes look like? Put them on paper and test them out! See what Departments you have in your company and who sits where. The accesses in the new construction software UK based will be done according to the department the person is under.
3. Be resistant towards the wave of change – The only change that we can make in the world is the change we can make in ourselves. Change must come first from yourself. If you, or anyone from your team, will resist the new things – like the newly implemented construction ERP solution, then you are in for some trouble… Involve the key people that will use the system to the entire process of choosing it. After all, they will use it on a daily basis, so you need to make sure that it makes sense for them and it does not double or hinders their work.
4. TMI (Too Much Information) – We know that systems can seem a bit overwhelming, with all the features they have and all the things that they do… You might even think that they should write manuals, books, on how one can handle working with them. Fear not! This is why the Implementation Process exists – in order for YOU not to get too overloaded and proceed at your own pace. The team can take this in baby steps (for the people that are less tech-savvy) or they can gallop through it. It is all up to you!
5. Extra functionalities – During the Implementation Process you will find out that new things will pop to your mind, new things that you would like the construction ERP to have, new options, or functionalities that you would think they are the right fit for you. No construction software will be perfect for everyone, there is no “one size fits all”, and by asking custom designs and custom developments that only brings more money to the table of the solution providers. All custom-made solutions take time and money. Deadlines are flexible, and this will amount to more pressure between the Client and the Implementation Team.

Selecting a construction ERP solution for your business can be quite of a struggle, but we know that this is possible: a period of time it will be painful and it will cost you time (and money, if the Implementation Process is billed separately), but in the end (when looking at the future) you will be able to see that it was all well worth it!