Whether you are contemplating the addition of new computer hardware or overhauling your network, our experienced consultants can assist you with many of the difficult decisions that must be made when designing your business' computer systems and networks including analysis of Internet and bandwidth requirements.
Here are some thoughts to consider in advance of calling us in as your outside consultants:
Don’t fall for a solution that amounts to a skinnier version of the original. In fact, you can probably count on the fact that some of the midmarket mainstay vendors will bring up the dangers of buying ERP solutions from the bigger players.
Look for reassurance that the solution you go with will roll out rapidly in the SMB (small- to medium-sized business) world. The budgets in the SMB market are not designed for long and burdensome implementation. The key is to implement and deploy the ERP solution; to understand it and to expand the solution as knowledge and need dictate.
It makes a lot of sense to take the CRM plunge in tandem with an ERP investment. The key feature many businesses are looking for in an ERP solution is true integration of back-office business processes with the front-end customer-management and sales data offered by CRM.
To make your search for the right ERP solution cover even more territory, look for other functionality not typically associated with ERP. For example, project-management capabilities that appeals to the midmarket customer in search of the right ERP approach. There is an intrinsic desire to better evaluate the business performance inside the smaller units of the company.
Be open-minded. Consider a look at ERP vendors now touting open-source solutions that make use of Linux operating systems and other open-source software.
For midmarket ERP customers, it will be very important for vendors to be knowledgeable and sensitive to the unique needs of a specific vertical.