Do you need to update your bit on the side? 

 

The backdrop of change over recent months is driving remote working and cloud-enabled solutions. Couple this with a significant pause that has stopped many IT projects (felt across the globe) and we are likely to see a surge to re-start half-completed projects and an acceleration of new system evaluations to accommodate remote working. 

 

There will be an emphasis on cloud-enabled solutions, delivered for remote workers and a need for shorter implementation cycles with a high level of security. Your core ERP may meet these criteria, but many businesses are also heavily reliant on peripheral systems that have been highly customised to meet business needs and these may have no logical upgrade path. These ancillary systems are frequently dependent upon a few knowledgeable individuals and yet their complexity and critical nature means that they would be costly to re-create from scratch. 

 

The current situation has revealed that many of these legacy systems inhibit remote working and so they will come under immediate scrutiny but how should you approach new system selection for replacing these systems, so that you are ready to come out of the starting gates when the light turns Green to GO? 

 

The classic approach included the guidance of one of the major consulting firms for which the client paid to have a business case and a user requirement list developed. But this methodology needs to be thrown out the window as you don’t know what you don’t know – IE, what options are available to you that may radically change the way you do things for the better? 

 

We recommend you start with a research phase to discover what is available in the market today as you may well be surprised. This discovery phase may also reveal the art of the possible with new innovations. 

 

In our experience this research-first approach completely changes the reference points held on the old system, helps analyse your business processes and you can then begin to see how to leap-frog forward and meet business needs an entirely different way. This also ensures that you have complete control over the system selection process as you are investigating and challenging the legacy framework.

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These times have taught us to look afresh at the way we work. You can no longer walk to a colleague’s desk and gain their input or approval – you need to automate – systems and processes need a radical re-think. 

 

How to Justify Change when it is Still Working? 

Justification of the cost and disruption will be needed, especially if the legacy system is handling the problem, albeit inhibiting growth and productivity. Traditionally, core ERP and central systems are surrounded by others that “pick up the pieces” and cover extraneous processes. But what began as an Excel spreadsheet has grown into a peripheral system, and what was created as a stopgap, has been in use for years and the consequences can be counter-productive. 

 

These scenarios often show departmental processes that are disconnected and although originally created to satisfy a need, they have forced data silos. A disconnected organization will ultimately limit growth and the achievement of scale and this needs to be part of your cost justification. 

 

The ways in which you have outgrown elements of your legacy system may have become abundantly clear in recent months with the radical change in working practices. However, you will still need a report that justifies the need for change and the problems will usually fall into these three buckets. In essence, it is all about the data. 

 

1. Business process inefficiency 

2. Inaccurate and incomplete data 

3. Untimely and insufficient reporting 

 

Business Process Inefficiency 

System change requests have not kept pace with your business requirements – gaps appeared between what was required versus what the system could do. Manual intervention became cumbersome and so little Microsoft Excel spreadsheets popped up and these in turn grew into customised peripheral systems. Each of these introduced little inefficiencies as customisations multiplied and the hand-over of data between departments required manual reconciliation. You are now exposed to the increased likelihood of errors. 

 

Most processes can be automated using a business process management tool running alongside your core ERP. These offer good ways to solve and automate manual process inefficiencies but there comes a point in every system when it will become obvious that there are more processes (automated or not) that sit outside the core ERP than within. This is the break-point and it is time for a change. 

 

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Inaccurate Data and Legacy Systems

Human error will always be a factor in data integrity, although this can be minimised by correct data governance procedures. However, instances of bespoke or home-grown systems, with no natural upgrade path and perhaps no data synchronisation to the core ERP, add further process break-points. 

 

Over time this leads to a mistrust in the validity and integrity of the data which has a major impact on the business. Reliable, accurate, timely data is key in all businesses. 

 

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Untimely and Insufficient Reporting 

Broken processes, manual intervention and peripheral systems all hinder the creation of meaningful reports. Legacy and disparate systems often hold data in different formats and so assimilating that and pooling the data into a format that can be shared can be a challenge. Providing accurate comparisons and mapping trends is essential but this can take time when there is a collection of un-related systems.

 

Organisations need access to relevant, accurate and timely reports that allow them to make critical business decisions. They want to be able to identify and address bottlenecks in their operations before customer orders are compromised or before excessive inventories choke off their cash flow. Businesses need to track why and where they are not performing, to minimize their own exposure. 

 

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For any business that struggles because of dis-jointed systems, legacy software, inaccurate data or fragmented processes means they are no longer supporting the needs of the business. Once you have identified these key break-points, reporting on how this is damaging efficiency will justify the need for change, and now you can embark on the transformation journey.

 

The Solution: Transform to an Integrated Enterprise 

Transforming into an integrated business with real-time reporting of data you believe in, requires a fresh look at the structure of all your enterprise systems as much has probably changed since they were first installed. The new approach needs to call upon a single version of data that resides in a common database. That does not mean you only have one system, but you have one version of the data and therefore one version of the truth. Data is at the very core of your business decision-making and it needs to hold the same importance in the systems in which it resides. 

 

Data-driven businesses are going to be the ones who succeed coming out of the inevitable recession. Now is the time to build that framework– and for that, you need a data-approach that can be implemented swiftly. 

 

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Here at ReInforce Technology we understand how to approach this challenge. We are ERP and business process specialists first but recognise that old or bespoke peripheral systems can impact data integrity and the ability for a business to be responsive and agile. Using SCAD’s unique, innovative development platform, we can migrate legacy systems to a cloud-enabled solution quickly, efficiently and at a reduced cost. Swapping code for data (which reduces footprint by up to 90%) implementations are typically 75% faster and at least 25% cheaper.

 

We pride ourselves on the personal service we provide with a “people-first” approach to ensure effective project delivery with the exceptional skills of our technical and application consultants. We have a relentless commitment to delivering reliable, mission-critical solutions to enable you to make data-driven decisions.

 

For more information – info@reinforcetech.co.uk