Understanding the processes you already have in place makes it easier to select and implement new software.
Need New ERP? First, Build a Business Process Model
One major step in your preparation for an ideal software solution for your company is to create a Business Process Model (BPM). Creating a BPM will also facilitate the implementation of an ERP system.
Detailing the work flow of each department and how these departments work together enables a company to determine specific requirements for the new system. Know your sequence and interactions (ISO-9001). This creates the building blocks for your BPM. Simple flow charts or process maps of each department will make company-wide processes more understandable and less likely to have gaps.
How to Build Your Model
While you by no means need to reinvent the wheel, re-envisioning how your operations may be able to become more streamlined, and working out any potential snags, is crucial to getting the most bang from your software buck.
Consider the following:
- Describe your business processes from start to finish. Review paper flow and reporting requirements.
- Identify process bottlenecks and redundant processes.
- Customer complaints.
- Who are key personnel in each area? What are their skill sets?
- Identify unusual and infrequent transactions
Once these and other key questions are answered and documented, a wish list / needs analysis can be created for new software. A key tool in selecting ERP software will identify the “must haves”, the “nice to have” and the “ don’t need/don’t want” functions.
A detailed BPM should illustrate how an enterprise application will fit the different functions within different departments in the business, along with how these departments ideally streamline and integrate data.
Once the BPM has been created, it is important to identify sample data, which can be used to test the effectiveness of the system so that adjustments can be made as necessary. It is also important to give users time and training to work through all the different scenarios and routines, so when the system goes live, the daily processes are able to run seamlessly.
Want to learn more about creating a Business Process Model? We can help. Contact Parallel Solutions at (440) 498-9920 or sales@parallelsolutions4u.com. We are a full-service software provider and our experienced staff can help assess all your needs from software selection to training and system support.