From scalability to budget, legacy system integration to choosing the right team to work with, there’s a lot to consider when considering a new enterprise system. Make sure you’re prepared before making the leap.
Investing in new enterprise IT software is a crucial decision for companies of all sizes. However, implementing that new enterprise system can be just as daunting of a task. It requires careful planning, research, and consideration of various factors. That’s why most companies take close to a year before making a purchase. In this white paper, we will discuss seven things to consider before starting a new enterprise IT system and will ask whether or not you actually need to do so.
Before starting the process of shopping for a new enterprise IT system, it’s wise to fully evaluate the system that you currently have. Begin by forming an internal selection team whose goals are to clearly and objectively identify any issues with the current system, then list out the potential solutions sought, and finally research whether or not the current system can be optimized or improved. This last step is overlooked all too often and companies jump right into investing in something new.
It is essential to have a budget in mind before engaging with prospective vendors. The budget should consider all the costs associated with the implementation, including hardware, software, licensing, installation, and ongoing maintenance and support. It is also important to consider budgeting the potential work hours required by your team to fully train and then transition to the new enterprise system. Quite often the amount of work required by a staff to adapt to a new system can be underestimated resulting in near-term lower productivity for the entire organization.
As the organization grows and expands, any potential enterprise system should be flexible enough to scale accordingly. It also needs to be able to adapt to any future operational changes that the company may encounter without significant disruptions to the business. Therefore, it is essential to consider the scalability and adaptability of any potential enterprise system during the evaluation process. A good thing to keep in mind is just how much your day-to-day operational systems will need to change by adopting a new enterprise system
Enterprise systems tend to contain critical and sensitive client and operational data that must be protected from external threats. Therefore, security should be a top priority when considering a potential enterprise system. The system should be designed with robust security features, including firewalls, encryption, access controls, and data backup and recovery mechanisms. It is a wise move to consider hiring an external InfoSec or security-based consultant during the evaluation process.
Most organizations already have existing enterprise-level systems in place and have relied on them potentially for years. Given the capital investment and current comfort level with these systems, it is essential to consider how a new, potential enterprise system will integrate with any existing operational systems and workflows within the company. A new system should be designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing workflow without causing significant disruptions to your business.
Implementing any new, potential enterprise system may require significant changes in business processes and workflows. This is a great opportunity to challenge the “we have always done it this way” syndrome by examining existing processes and identifying ones that may be outdated. In doing so it is essential to communicate these changes to all member of the organization and provide adequate user training and support to ensure a smooth transition. The training and comfort levels with a new enterprise system could require several weeks for the staff to understand all aspects of the new system, including how to use it, troubleshoot issues, and access support.
Choosing the right vendor is critical when implementing a new enterprise system. The vendor should have a proven track record of delivering high-quality systems, dedicated and personalized training, and excellent customer support. It is also essential to consider the vendor’s longevity, expertise in the specific industry you operate within, and their ability to meet the organization’s unique needs for many years to come.
CommonThread is designed to optimize and bring efficient productivity to your existing enterprise systems. Sales, operations, inventory, finance, HR and more can all operate in unison – with reporting, calendars, communications, CRM data, and more living within one straightforward dashboard. CommonThread can also allow users to automate time-consuming daily tasks. Instead of losing time each day completing repetitive needs or running reports from multiple systems, you can focus more of your time on your people and your most pressing business needs. With a robust content management system, time loss in searching for work content can be trimmed substantially, instantly creating a more efficient workflow for your employees.
With four unique channels of integration, CommonThread adapts to your existing enterprise systems and already-existing workflows (with substantial user accessibility upgrades), rather than needing to remove or replace your internal systems to match them. By leveraging a more efficient workflow tool such as CommonThread, you can reduce large capital investments and successfully transform the way you do business for the better – all while making productivity simple.
Learn more about CommonThread at ideaweavers.com and schedule a quick focus discovery to see how CommonThread can be configured for your unique business.
