No one likes change; it can be hard to accept as it takes most of us outside our comfort zones. Managing this change before, during and after an ERP implementation is vital to allow an organization to reap the benefits of their investment.

The decision to change ERP system is made at the head of an organisation. Key productivity benefits, costs savings, a reduction in the duplication of data, improved data visibility and access are just some of the common benefits sought after.

To make this a reality people throughout an organisation may need to work in a different manner, switch focus or even move to another department as their role becomes redundant. A daunting prospect for many employees.

Not being aware of the ‘end game’ and the organisations’ objectives, employees can feel isolated and anxious about changes to the company’s ERP system. Without information from ‘the top’ staff can feel vulnerable, with risk of redundancy once the new system is implemented being the most common fear. In some instances job losses may be inevitable as organisations move to reduce their cost base. However, a new ERP solution cannot operate on its own and in many cases needs people to leverage the desired benefits.

Is enough time and resource invested in change management? I would suggest no. Change management can help prepare employees and management teams for the ERP implementation.

So how do you take your staff with you along this journey, encouraging them to embrace the change during what can be a difficult and challenging time?

The answer – With good internal communication and thorough training.

• Engage your staff by providing clear statements about the boards desired operational benefits. This will get your staff thinking about their specific role and encourage them to ask how they can help and be part of the process.

• Invest in staff training to prepare them for the new ERP solutionallowing ample time to tackle their natural fears or worries.

• Publish regular progress updates and milestone announcements to keep everyone on track and focused.

• Consider a structured phased approach – as the saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant?” “In small pieces.”

• Train your staff and cascade information via your management teams to introduce new business processes in manageable pieces, rather than in one big bang. This will give your team’s time to adjust and adapt to the system over a period of time.

The most successful ERP implementations are well planned, managed and communicated. The key to managing change well is keeping employees ‘in the loop’ thoroughout the entire process; alliviating fears and promoting the positive aspects of the changes ahead.

An ERP project should be considered not just as a physical investment in software, but also as an investment in people.

Phil Snowe
ERP Sales Consultant

For many business to business (B2B) companies ecommerce is a whole new world. But it is a big, wide world with huge growth potential. With this in mind, businesses shouldn’t be scared of taking the leap to online.

So what is all the fuss about and why do B2B organisations need ecommerce?

Online trading will undoubtedly increase revenue. Up-selling and cross-selling and introducing new items to existing clients is an easy win. And reaching out to prospective customers is much easier if they can find you and your products, rather then you searching for them.

24/7 online ordering will significantly lower all operational costs associated with order taking IF you choose a solution that really works with your back office software. By acting fast and loose with integration between your ecommerce solution and order processing software, you will undoubtedly need to rekey data and run the risk of more mistakes; thereby counteracting any benefits you gained in the first place. Get integration right and you have just increased your revenue without adding staff overheads.

Online ordering makes doing business with your company straightforward and convenient. From a consumers perspective, how often do you buy online? Given the option of trawling shops, searching one store to the next, the vast majority of us will much prefer to search online from the comfort of our own sofa, make a purchase at the click of a button and wait for our goods to come to us. So why would your customers think any differently?

Then there is of course the frustration we all experience when a website gives no product details, prices or availability. Personally, in this situation, I switch to another site that does offer this information, taking my business elsewhere. How many of your customers could be doing the same?

Over the last decade the web has drastically changed the world of B2B business. Today more and more B2B companies are searching the Internet for a better deal. B2B ecommerce increases your online presence, resulting in improved search engine rankings and, ultimately, enabling potential customers to find you more easily.

In short the benefits of B2B ecommerce are clear. It is by far the simplest way to expand your business reach, cut operation costs and increase revenue.

So ask yourself now, “why are we not trading online”? Can’t think why? Then maybe you need to be.

Katie Jones

Customer Communications
CPiO Limited

From my experience, businesses who own a piece of CRM software will probably sit in one of two camps; those which utilise CRM in one area of the business to perform a very linear function, sitting it alongside various other software applications that have been accumulated as the business has grown, to perform certain functions.

The other camp are companies which have adopted a full CRM strategy with CRM being their lifeblood and central hub of all activity. It is the first port of call for all commercial employees and acts as a window into all other applications, giving company wide visibility to those who need it.

A common misconception is that CRM will replace the functionality of other business applications you have. CRM’s very nature is flexibility so allows this sort of manipulation. However, developing CRM to perform functions outside of its original remit is not always the best route. For example Back Office (ERP) functionality should not be recreated in CRM. Don’t reinvent the wheel; leave application specific software to do what it is best at. CRM should act as a central hub to perform commercial functions and then launch other applications where necessary in a company’s process workflow.

Companies which utilise CRM in its most powerful format - as an umbrella sitting above all other applications, are the ones which understand the benefits and will be singing the praises of CRM. Organisations which utilise CRM “software” for singular business functions have less favourable things to say and can sometimes see CRM as a useless or restrictive tool.

The trap which many organisations fall into is someone saying “we need CRM”. The company then gets all excited about the possibilities, gets demos off various resellers, then investigate the costs and fail to justify them. They then either abandon the idea or go for a cheap version in one area of the business as a “trial” and fail to make the true investment into CRM.

In order to make success of CRM, an organisation must be willing to invest. They must stand back and scope fully what they need and what can be accomplished. They must not underestimate the time and manpower needed for successful implementation and the whole company must be on board and educated about the benefits. They must also not underestimate the power and commercial advantage over competitors that a properly managed CRM system gives you.

The most successful companies I have worked with know the value of investment in IT, know their customers, know their markets and every individual in the organisation is empowered with this information…..because it’s in their CRM system.

Nick Baladi is lead CRM Consultant for CPiO. Contact him at nick.baladi@cpio.co.uk