Advantages of a Local Partners for Your ERP Implementation

Over the last 2.5 years, the whole world has drastically improved in our ability to work remotely.  We have escaped what might have been an economic calamity, by using now familiar technology tools (Teams, Zoom, GoTo….).  This was unthinkable as little as 10 years ago.  We are well positioned to virtually connect with anyone, anywhere. But virtual never was a perfect replacement for face-to-face. Consider the advantages of spending time with an important business partner in person. In this blog, the focus will be a “local” ERP partner (“local” meaning within driving distance of your facility):

Here are some benefits you’ll realize from local:

1. Place a name with a Face…it’s better to meet in 3D than on a 2D screen. Speaking with your ERP implementation partner face to face helps avoid misunderstandings and improves a vision of your implementation. Being able to meet in the same room, to explain business needs, create diagrams, show real workstations (not just screen shares) and hold direct conversations will help provide great clarity. 

2. Tour your plant…if you partner has been in your plant, they’ll relate better to what you really produce and what’s critical to running your operation. This goes for your warehouse too! An ERP system is vital to your business – let a person who’s walked your operation be the implementer!  An experienced implementer gains significantly from time spent in your plant.

3. Recommend local resources/ networking…If the partner you choose is local, they’ll know local resources who can help you. Possibilities include both ERP and non-ERP resources: IT teams, service groups, suppliers, financial institutions, subcontractors, grant organizations, reference sites. This can represent a significant advantage.

4. Meet face to face…by your partner meeting your people, you’re underway to the most effective connection and understanding of your business. The partner will pick up on body language and the real feel of your organization. Remember, doing an implementation is more about your people and your business, than it is about the software.

5. Provide focus…as great as Zoom is, people are experiencing Zoom fatigue. This means after a while people get sluggish and inattentive. They start multi-tasking diverting energy from the project. Face to face remedies this. It allows for everyone to be focused on the project at hand and ensures that everyone is on the same page about goals, deliverables, and timelines.

6. Cost benefit – if your partner can get to you by car with a day trip, this will be inexpensive – certainly less than flights and hotels. It means that it’s also easier to troubleshoot anything that happens during the implementation and that the connection will be ongoing through real partnership. If she is in your area, their fee structure will be closer to what you can afford.  And, by the way, the local still can do Zoom whenever that’s prudent to do too!

We are Acuity Consulting Group, a Rhode Island based Partner of SAP Business One.  Please give us a call if you’re looking for an ERP and a partner who services southern New England!