Every manufacturing company aims to stay ahead of the game in terms of managing resources effectively. One tool that can help you achieve this is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). But what is ERP and why is it important for the future of manufacturing? How does a business move through the process from selection of an ERP to implementation? 在本文中, 你会对ERP有一个大致的了解, 它的好处, and what it takes to select an ERP that is right for your business and get it implemented to streamline your manufacturing operations.
什么是企业资源规划?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software system that helps businesses manage their resources effectively. 它集成了所有业务功能, 比如金融, 库存管理, 生产, 销售, 和人力资源整合到一个系统中, providing a centralized view of your organization’s data. 与ERP, 你可以自动执行日常任务, 简化制造流程, 并提高对您的操作的可见性. ERP systems eliminate duplicate and manual data entry, 这就减少了错误, 提高了效率, and allows you to make better-informed decisions in real-time.
选择适合您企业的ERP
Selecting an ERP system is no small decision – it can be exciting, complicated, and stressful. It is important to identify 项目经理 to help ease the selection and implementation process. 应该遵循以下三个主要步骤: 评估 -企业需要什么? 决定 -选择一个系统，和 实现 -上线使用该系统.
评估- It is important to create a project team that typically includes an executive sponsor, 项目经理, and representatives from the key departments that will use the system. This approach creates ownership and buy-in among the team while ensuring the project gets the resources it needs. Many businesses hire an external consultant or ERP implementation partner to provide expertise in design and configuration of the system.
One of the team’s main goals is to understand the current issues, including process inefficiencies and requirements for the ERP system. To help with this process, consider conducting a Needs and Wants 评估ment. 评估中需要考虑的主要项目有:
- 数据分析
- 报告要求
- 用户体验/易用性
- 自动化的可访问性
- 未来业务增长
决定,The decision process should evaluate two to three systems in a side-by-side comparison. Though costs are important, don’t make your decision based solely on cost. Make sure to review the pros and cons of each system – it is recommended that the following categories are included in the evaluation:
- 各供应商的行业经验
- 定制能力和需求
- 系统的灵活性
- 易用性
- 报告
- 实现时间轴
Lastly, before making a final decision, it is important to check references for each system. Not only should you be asking other clients what they like and dislike, 询问实施过程. If possible, request an on-site visit or client demonstration. Asking other users about their experience is the best way to validate that you are choosing the right system for your business.
实现 -现在真正的工作开始了! 既然已经选择了ERP提供商, the next step is to develop an implementation plan and timeline. 在评估阶段, each department’s requirements were identified and the issues the system needs to solve are known. There are several steps included in the implementation phase of the process.
设计 – Start by analyzing existing workflows and designing new, more efficient processes. 在这个过程中包括用户, as they have the best understanding of current processes and what works and what doesn’t. This process will help identify what customization is required.
发展 – In conjunction with the software vendor, configure the software to the business requirements. 与软件开发并行, the team should start preparing training materials and documenting new processes. This is when you start planning data migration which can be complex. Migrating data often involves extracting, transforming and loading information from multiple sources. Bear in mind that each source may use different formats and may have duplicate or inconsistent information. The project team will need to determine how much historical information will be transferred.
测试 -测试通常与开发同时进行. System functions will be tested to identify issues and the team will need to develop fixes or make adjustments based on the testing results. Retesting will occur until the system is working properly. This phase should also encompass testing of the migrated data and include user training.
部署 -这是你一直在努力的方向! You will need to decide on the correct approach for your business. There are three common approaches to deployment which should be considered – all with varying levels of costs and risks.
- Big Bang – Deploy across all functions at the same time. This approach has the lowest cost, takes the least amount of time but has the highest risk of errors.
- 并行-同时运行新旧系统. This approach is the most expensive, has the lowest risk of errors but takes longer to deploy.
- 分阶段——一次部署1-2个业务功能. This approach takes the longest time to deploy but has the lowest risk of errors. Costs associated with this phase are higher than the Big Bang, but lower than Parallel.
When deciding what deployment approach is best for your business, it is important to consider the complexity of your system, 可接受的时间表, 你的业务规模, the level of risk that the business is willing to take and costs.
选择和投资正确的ERP是关键. 我们有经验丰富的 制造团队 来帮助这个过程. 请 安全的赌博软件, we are happy to help with this important decision and process.
By 明迪Gallman 利马(办公室)