When your ERP system can't keep up with operations, it affects every member of your team and all of your customers negatively. Eventually, you will realize that technology has improved so significantly that it becomes evident that a change is needed. If you want to grow your company to the next level and face the nothing-but-fierce competition in your industry, it may be time to modernize your business systems.
When we visit prospects who are using outdated legacy systems to run their business, we always ask if they are suffering from any of the following tell-tale signs that indicate they've outgrown their business system.
1. Your customer experience should be better.
Are you asking your customer service team to work with their hands tied behind their back? When a customer calls, are you able to rely on the information in your business system?
For example, over time, using manual processes can affect your inventory counts' accuracy and your ability to offer a streamlined supply chain. When you don't know at the touch of a button which items are available or when your customers can expect to receive them, your reputation suffers. With tons of competing options in the marketplace, your clients may go elsewhere if they can't rely on you to keep pricing and delivery promises.
2. Could your processes be more streamlined?
Your employees are clever. If your business system gets in the way of them getting their work done, they will devise a workaround outside of the system. It is a shortcut that becomes a long-term problem as you grow. When your staff manages your operations with spreadsheets, it may be impossible to get a clear picture of your processes. The resulting disconnected information is labor-intensive to report on and challenging to evaluate how to improve productivity. Manual workarounds can cripple operations. When you have a robust, connected, and modern business system, workarounds are not necessary.
3. Are your operating costs higher than you'd like?
There is a cost when you have too many manual and disconnected processes. If your employees regularly work overtime, their productivity and work-life balance suffer, and your labor costs soar.
Employee burnout will soon follow, and enthusiasm and dedication for the business soon fade.
Today's technology empowers your employees to access the information they need to do their job. Automation reduces the time spent completing repetitive tasks and creates a more content workforce.
4. When Sally calls in sick, everything falls apart.
Are your operations limited because you are relying on information stored in someone's head? Get critical information out of their head and into your ERP system, where it is always available. Organizations that are crippled when key employees are absent clearly show that it is time to upgrade their technology.
If you sell a more complex product that requires configuration, can you give your customers answers on the first call? If your ERP system cannot handle multiple options and scenarios, you may be spending too much time delivering a quote. The delayed response is costly and affects your ability to compete.
5. Your "Don't Fix It Unless it is Broke" philosophy is hurting revenue.
Your lack of visibility into your operations means you may not even know what is broken and what needs to be fixed. What if, with one push of a button, you always knew what your margins were and could accurately prepare for future orders? If you spend time piecing together information that needs to be verified and researched, you lack connected technology that delivers immediate answers.
What if modern ERP software could free up your resources to spend their time growing revenue instead of using error-prone, manual processes. Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can always be top-of-mind, so you not only react to conditions but plan for what is coming.
Download this eBook, "Outdated Business Systems Cripple Operations," for a deeper look at why it may be time to modernize.
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About the Author:
Business Management International (BMI) focuses on bringing business technology to companies to help them compete. We're not afraid to offer radically superior customer service and proudly offer Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. www.bmiusa.com.