Condition of a successful ERP project: that the implemented solution meets the project objectives. However, for the ERP software to deliver what is expected, it must be chosen and then customized, whatever the company's practices — case management, advanced planning , mobility, CAD interface… This is why the service provider who implements the ERP plays a strategic role. Two options are available to the company to be well supported: appoint an integrator who relays the editor, or collaborate from start to end with the editor who is in charge of the integration.
Publisher or integrator, the service provider in
charge of integrating an ERP will also support the company on the life cycle of
the solution. Its service will thus combine advice, solution, integration,
training, support, maintenance and version upgrade.
At what stages does the service provider intervene
during an ERP project?
An ERP project lasts six to twelve months in an SME or
ETI, including the integration phase. From the start of the project, the
company must properly manage multiple preparatory stages and be able to count
on its service provider. These stages are also an opportunity to check the
quality of service offered – in particular the ability to adapt to the
company’s process, its planning and its development project.
Thus, after having laid out the processes to clarify
those that the ERP will have to support, the company will write the
specifications. This structuring tool for the project will help to choose the
right solution from the market offer, but it is also a real communication tool
with the service provider. Then come the demonstrations, and the Proof Of
Concept, essential steps to judge the quality of a future ERP partner. The
installation of the ERP in the company implies its configuration according to
its business and its particularities. Before it is put into service, tests and
acceptance tests make it possible to fine-tune the final settings. Deployment
is then done by module and/or by phase, or all at once, with support for
getting started.
These steps all require advice and support from the
company, because equipping yourself with an ERP is a major investment and a
long-term project that must be given every chance of success.
Solicit an integrator in an ERP project
An integrator agrees on the functional response to the
specifications, on a budget, a schedule and deadlines. If the company chooses
to work with an integrator, the latter must above all fully understand its
client, its activity, its constraints and processes. But also master the ERP
chosen to configure it perfectly according to the specifications of the
company, and offer advice at critical stages.
Once the ERP is in service in the company, the
integrator remains mobilized to answer users' questions, their new needs and
use cases as the activity evolves. He is also responsible for the stabilization
phase with personalized additional training, services for setting up new
states, or indicators specific to certain functions.
Keep in mind: an integrator is also an intermediary in
the project between client and publisher. It may happen that the roles of each
other are poorly defined, that the relays extend certain delays. In this type
of project, communication must therefore be well established in order to bring
together all the stakeholders.
Entrust the integration of the ERP to the editor
This scenario offers the interest of a single company
that brings a team with all the required profiles - commercial, consultant,
R&D, Support. So many professionals who coordinate around their client's
ERP project with the aim of making it a success.
Obviously, the publisher's team has a perfect command
of ERP, with the advantage of direct access to the resources that design,
develop and develop the solution. For industrial SMEs and ETIs, which often
have very specific processes and specific business constraints, this is the
guarantee of a quick and reliable response on what can be done to adapt the
solution, and how go about it – with transparency on any additional cost.
Specific developments are all the better taken into
account if they are also useful to the publisher. Indeed, coming from the
field, they provide him with valuable information on the changes to be made to
his ERP, and on the specific requests to be definitively integrated into the
ERP to meet the needs of similar customers.
Because he masters the entire project cycle and then
remains alongside the company in its use of the solution, an integrator
publisher also allows the establishment of a collaboration conducive to the
transfer of skills. . An important point to give maximum autonomy to the
company.
The points of attention to make the right choice
An integrator can be a good solution for a company that only operates on one site, because an integrator is often a local service provider located nearby. For certain services, in particular in the event of hardware, server or other failure, this proximity promotes great responsiveness and on-site presence within short deadlines for troubleshooting. Another advantage: lower travel costs.
- Points of attention: it is useful to calculate the maintenance costs, as they can be high. Indeed, these costs will combine the support contract of the integrator and that of the publisher, which is essential to benefit from product updates. Another check to make: the vertical specialization of the publisher must correspond to the sector of the company. Better is an editor with references in the field, proof that he knows how to carry out ERP projects such as that of the company.
An integrator publisher of course has the advantage of an unparalleled knowledge of its solutions. Hence, among other benefits, often more responsive and qualitative support and hotline services, with direct access to the people who develop the product. Also, a community of users to discuss with other customers on issues similar to those of the company.
- Point of attention: unlike an integrator, an ERP publisher has little chance of finely meshing a region with its own teams. There may therefore be a certain distance to cover in the event of an on-site intervention when its teams are not nearby.
According to market figures, more than half of
projects are entrusted to an integrator. However, it is up to each company to
make its choice. To better assess whether the project is more likely to succeed
with an integration led by the editor itself, do not hesitate to question it
and ask it for information on its structure. In particular, the key figures
including those which prove its financial reliability, but also the key dates
which testify to its seniority, or its previous developments for similar
customers. Availability and responsiveness must also be guaranteed to carry out
the project. Finally, concerning the life cycle of the ERP, the company must
have visibility on what the publisher offers in terms of update frequency,
support, hotline, training and the cost of additional services. who ensure the
proper functioning of the solution and the comfort of users.