In a couple of recent blogs, we’ve looked at identifying an obsolete ERP system and shared some good reasons why cloud platforms are generally best for almost any organisation. There’s another factor in ERP success arguably more important than sound vendor selection, or even whether you go cloud or on-premises. What could be more crucial than that? Partner selection. Put bluntly, you could choose the world’s best ERP solution, but if you don’t choose the best local partner with experience implementing the software for customers in a similar industry, the project might be doomed.
Let’s see why.
For starters, after presales engagements, most Oracle ERP customers have very little to do with Oracle. The same goes for most Microsoft Dynamics customers or those on an SAP journey. In fact, most of the customers of nearly all major enterprise software vendors don’t have a great deal to do with the vendor, and nor does the vendor have a great deal to do with them.
If that seems odd, well, it isn’t. Not in the least. It’s the same in the, say, white goods market. Sure, you bought a Miele or a Fisher & Paykel, but the chances are you’ve never had a thing to do with either vendor.
Before suggesting false equivalence, yes, we understand buying a dishwasher is slightly less of a commitment than an enterprise resource planning solution! But the point stands: while vendor selection is typically made on factors including reputation, financial stability, the functionality of the software and its suitability for your organisation, cost, and others (perhaps not so much for the dishwasher, but most certainly for the ERP), you most likely aren’t going to see much of them. Not in the planning, configuration, or implementation, and not for front-line support after you’ve gone live.
Three sides to the ERP coin
Instead, almost every major software vendor works through a network of local partners. We’re a partner for NetSuite; and you could say we sit in between the vendor and you, the customer. Our role is to understand the software and all its many and constantly evolving features and understand the industries and needs of our individual customers. The more we know about both sides of this coin (on which we are arguably the third side – the rim), the better we can deliver the best solution for you.
As an ERP partner, we bring a ton of ‘real world’ experience in implementing and using the software in a Kiwi business environment. This is invaluable; most software is made in the USA or Europe where they do things a little differently, though there are some notable New Zealand vendors. Then there’s your specific industry. We know the best practices within your industry, speak the lingo, and appreciate the challenges you face. We also appreciate that sometimes how you operate is where your competitive advantage lies, rather than what you do. And that this can, and does, have an impact on how your ERP is configured.
This knowledge and experience translate into faster and more accurate configuration and deployment, along with cost advantages which include faster time to value.
But probably the most significant benefit is in the word ‘partner’.
The long haul measured in decades
Choosing an ERP solution is a long-haul decision. From RFP to delivered system can take years, and that’s just the start. You might rely on your solution for a decade or several. Along the way, as technology develops and evolves, and as your business adapts to changing circumstances, expect assistance with support, upgrades, ongoing development and the introduction of new modules, features and functionality. For all this and probably a bit more, the presence of a trusted, reliable, and capable partner with a vested interest in your success is crucial.
With ERP you are in it for the long haul. And we’re in it for the long haul, too. As a proven partner with a ton of industry experience and multiple reference sites, we’re here to provide guidance, and insights from other customers in the same or related industries, along with intimate knowledge of what’s happening on the vendor side so you are always up to the state of play in terms of new and emerging developments which may (or may not) work for you.
That may include recommendations of relevant additional modules, third-party products, training on existing but unused/underused solutions or features in your software estate. It also includes recommendations against certain features, add-ons or customisations; if we see these as increasing risk or not being worth it, we’ll say so.
The bottom line, really, is that in 2024 it would be quite hard to find an ERP vendor offering shoddy software. Market forces mean you could probably put all the major vendors on a dartboard, throw an arrow and go with the one it hits. So long as you have a great partner across the software, across your industry and across your business, the solution is likely to meet expectations.
Hit ‘the best’ vendor, but miss the right partner? That’s not a risk worth taking. It really is as stark as that.
