8 Most Common Challenges of ERP Implementation

Every business wants what is best for its growth and development. But how to choose the right ERP software for your company if there are numerous choices available? This becomes one of the major challenges that organizations face when they decide to automate their operation through ERP. Finding the perfect fit for your organization can be confusing and a complex decision. Nobody would wish to invest in the wrong choice.

ERP implementation is never complete without training the workforce adequately to use the system. They are ultimate users in your organization, they should be accurately trained throughout the process along with the proper understanding of the business goals and needs. Inadequate employees would hamper the work efficiency and their reluctance can create major problems in the working processes.

It is very important to analyze the cost that is involved in the whole ERP implementation process as a lack of budgeting can lead to issues in the future. Every business should plan in advance the cost it is willing to invest in the implementation of software which should be realistic and doable. Most of the time, due to access customization of ERP software, the entire cost increases many folds.

The senior and top-level management of the companies plays an important role in ERP implementation. They are the decision makers and are the ones who set the ultimate goals of the business. They should communicate the objectives to the middle and other levels of employees in a very clear manner to avoid any discrepancies. Without their clear directive to use the system implementation can never be successful.

It is always advisable to set an achievable timeline for the projects. ERP implementation life cycle is a slow and step by step procedure which takes accuracy and changes from time to time. Anticipating the time to implement is a challenging task, given the fact, there are many variables involved. Any delay in the development or adoption of the system can cause delays and increase the total cost of the ERP implementation.

If the business is not successful in analyzing the right needs and requirements or if they are unable to access their purpose of implementing ERP software, it leads to failure and other issues in the long term. It can affect the productivity and growth of the business.

Testing is considered as an important phase of the ERP implementation life cycle. It includes finding out of issues and bugs in the software before it launches for the final use. Improper or insufficient amount of testing can lead to crashing and failure of the software after it is implemented.

The ERP software once implemented should help in simplifying tasks and achieving the desired goals. But this can happen only if all employees are using the features that are available or customized by the business. It is essential to keep track that all the features or modules integrated by you in the software are up to proper use, otherwise, it is only adding up to your cost.