STORIES & SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN BUSINESS USER

This article was originally published in Training Industry Magazine.

ERP projects represent significant change for organizations. They are high risk, high-value initiatives, and often are scrutinized heavily. How well organizations prepare for the change and how it will impact the people, is a significant predictor of success. While ERP projects are often heavily supported by IT, ERP projects should be viewed as business investments and led by the functional workstreams.

Almost every organization says that it is trying to change to meet the increasing demands of customers. This means adopting new technology, or even embarking upon a wholesale digital transformation.

Change is a simple process that replaces the old with something new. As simple as change is to define, it is extremely difficult to execute. This is because change occurs within the construct of an established ecosystem that is rooted in how the brain questions and challenges new ideas.

Change in business is as inevitable as change in any aspect of life and in order to progress and improve, agility and adaptability are key. As with all change management challenges, solid planning with clear objectives forms the bedrock, but getting buy-in, promoting the adoption of a new system and giving ongoing support and guidance to users is instrumental in making sure that any new process or tool delivers an ROI and remains sustainable.

The manufacturing industry is known for being laggards when it comes to technology adoption, but as 2018 kicks off, many manufacturing leaders have digital transformation on the brain. Using new technologies and embracing new ways of operating is needed for business growth, but many organizations are held back by outdated business models and technology. Frustrated by legacy technology, manual processes, and inability to get visibility across the supply chain and plant operations, more organizations are evaluating the maturity of their ERP and preparing for change.