{"id":4033,"date":"2015-09-06T14:51:29","date_gmt":"2015-09-06T21:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-prod.qad.com\/blog\/?p=4033"},"modified":"2020-11-05T14:49:10","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T22:49:10","slug":"choose-the-right-path-for-your-erp-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/choose-the-right-path-for-your-erp-system","title":{"rendered":"Choose the Right Path for Your ERP System"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An ERP System is the Backbone of a Manufacturing Company<\/h2>\n

ERP is such a fundamental part of any business<\/a> that companies are usually reluctant to make a change.\u00a0In fact, the average manufacturing company operates with an ERP system that has been in place for 10 to 20 years, according to noted manufacturing expert Dave Turbide<\/a>. Because of these long-term relationships, manufacturers and their ERP providers are as much business partners as they are customer and vendor.<\/p>\n

In many industries, companies rely on their ERP system for little more than financials, but manufacturers have a much greater dependence. Manufacturers store the very essence of their business\u2014their product structures and work instructions\u2014in their manufacturing ERP systems<\/a>. They rely on ERP procedures as the backbone for certifications such as ISO9001, and parts of regulatory certifications such as FDA audits in life sciences center around consistent use of business systems. They customize their ERP solutions to create differentiating business processes that give them a competitive edge in tough markets. ERP systems function as both the conscience and memory of a company, storing the details of every sale and every shop order.<\/p>\n

Changing its ERP system means that the company may need to go through an additional\u2014probably unplanned\u2014FDA or other compliance audit. They may need to rewrite and recertify their ISO procedures. They will need to retrain everybody who interacts with the system and spend days or weeks testing and verifying new procedures.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s such a shock when an ERP vendor discontinues a product and forces its customers to make changes they wouldn\u2019t make otherwise. Changing an ERP system is disruptive. It adds to the workloads of the company\u2019s most key people, pulling them away from their day-to-day activities to focus on the project. It affects every business process in every department, from finance to sales to the shop floor. For an ERP vendor to force customers to make a change in their ERP system for its own benefit feels like a betrayal of a trusted relationship.<\/p>\n

When the ERP Database Changes, Everything Changes<\/h2>\n

When an ERP company decides it can no longer devote resources to a product that you\u2019ve been paying maintenance on, it feels like a betrayal. Even though the vendor may say it\u2019s just a change to the underlying technology, you know that isn\u2019t completely true. If both ERP systems had exactly the same functionality engineered in exactly the same way, as they would have you believe, there wouldn\u2019t be an issue continuing to maintain both systems.<\/p>\n

They may be saying that conversion is a simple process, but you know it\u2019s never as easy as they say. Think about it.<\/p>\n