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   Kaytek IT - ERP Consulting Services |
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Have you tried A Shoot-Out For ERP Selection?
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Kaytek IT - ERP Consulting Services |
 ERP Decisions are Costly & Irreversible. What are International Best Practices & Smart Strategies in selecting ERP Solutions ? Have you tried asking your ERP vendors to take part in an ERP Shoot Out ? During the ERP Selection process, ERP Vendors are often invited to give presentations on their product features to the senior management and functional people in an organization. This exercise is a good educational process both for the ERP vendors (to understand the organizational requirements) as well as the users of the ERP software(to understand external best practices). Perhaps, as a logical extension of the above Vendor User Interactions, Organizations choosing an ERP could ask for an ERP Vendor shoot-out. Some Large Global Customer Organizations have successfully used 'Vendor Shoot-Outs' as a Strategy to finalise on their ERP Vendors at the last stage. It essentially translates into giving your (The Customer's) typically unique software requirements to your final list of ERP vendors. And asking them to respond via working / simulation demonstrations of their software modules in the shortest possible time. At no or minimal cost to your organization. |
In fact, the process is exactly similar in the Advertising Business where Agencies give creative ideas and inputs based on the client's unique requirements. There are no benchmarks or metrics to evaluate whether this kind of Shoot-Out evaluation results in long-term implementation success, which is not just a function of the ERP software features but also an organization's IT maturity and ERP readiness. However, if any of your ERP vendors in the last lap of the race are confident of their product and it's fit to your organisation's specific customised complex requirements, they should be able to take up the challenge and deliver successfully in a short-time frame. The time-frame for the shootout could be mutually negotiated by the Customer and the ERP vendors within acceptable timeframes as dictated by the needs and pressures of the project. To successfully win the ERP Shoot-Out game, a good ERP Vendor or ERP Implementation Partner would (and should) have proven Capabilities to handle a Customer's Complex Customized Requirements WishList as per the following stages : To Understand, Identify and Extract Generic Patterns from
the Customer's Requirements WishList and quickly match the same
to their ERP Solution's Features and Capabilities. Highlight the Gaps (any or many) between their
Current ERP Solution and the Customer's WishList. Demonstrate an Ability to quickly close the Gaps
via Creating Rugged Modular New Software (or Prototype) Code satisfying the
requirements with minimal tinkering of their existing Core ERP Software CodeBase. Realistically Demonstrating and agreeing on an Ability
to Do So in the future within a Committed Negotiated Time
Frame (again with minimal touching of their Core Code.) Address the Gap via Alternative Solutions using their
Generic Industry Knowledge Experience and Expertise (which may not be available
with the Customer). The Proof of the Pudding is always in Current Execution Capabilities and not in Future possible Committments. Also, important is 'Minimal' Customization or Tinkering with their existing software. This is important for your future implementation success and keeping the ERP Software maintenance costs down to the bare minimum. |
These Alternative Solutions could possibly involve changes in any or all of the Customer's Current and Future System Workings. At no point in the ERP shootout or otherwise, should one ever compromise on the Scalability or Quality or Upgradeability of the software or the Budget Issues of the proposed ERP solutions over the planned lifetime of the project. Many ERP Vendors may be Genuinely busy to take part in the proposed ERP Shootout. However, there is an old adage. I do not remember the source nor the exact words but it goes something like this.... "If you need to get something done properly well, perhaps ask the busiest person to do it. You will usually not go wrong. She or he will do the best job of the same." What an ERP shootout could possibly do is to maybe reveal to the Customer as to whether or not the ERP emperor (vendor / partner ) is wearing any clothes. (The Old Story...). Or Also, Vice-Versa. It takes two to clap hands together. Both Customer and the Vendor. For A Successful ERP Implementation Project. Email us for more information on using an ERP Shoot Out Strategy in your ERP Selection Process. |
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