3 elements of a successful ERP rollout
There are three elements of a successful implementation. The first element is to build a strong foundation. We want each department to have a fundamental understanding of how the software works in that department. The second element is developing procedures. We want to address business issues, taking advantage of the functionality in the software to help address those business issues. The third element is training. The end users need to be trained. These three elements were the basis of a solid ERP roll-out strategy.
How we used to build the elements
Many years ago, we used a cumbersome method to handle the first two elements: building the foundation and building the procedures. The foundation was established with live, in-person, classroom training to provide users with a fundamental understanding of how the software works. The training consumed at least a day for each topic, sometimes multiple days. Entire procedures were developed from scratch with the customer during consulting sessions.
How Infor changed the game for ERP roll-out strategies
In recent years, Infor has changed the implementation model in regard to foundation building, training, and procedural development for Infor CloudSuite Industrial ERP. This includes:
Training
To build a foundation of knowledge, Infor University (formerly Infor Campus) replaces day(s)-long, consultant-led training classes. Infor U has hundreds of training videos. The right sessions are assigned to the right users. The short sessions are self-paced. Trainings are available for new employees.
Our team at Visual South guides you through setting up Infor U for your employees, making sure the right people are taking the right classes. We'll also put in the implementation plan when those classes should be taken.
There are also live classes, Office Hours, plus training manuals and PowerPoint presentations available as part of your Infor U subscription.
Procedural Development
To speed up the process of developing procedures, Infor Process Intelligence (formerly known as Implementation Accelerators) are out-of-the-box, best practice procedures you can deploy for your organization. Think of procedures like how to: enter an order, plan for materials, ship an order, and so on. The only thing missing are your unique business requirements. Our consultants work with you to find the gaps and then personalize the procedure to fit your organizational needs.
An additional benefit of using Infor Process Intelligence is that you have a tool to visually present the process flows specific to your company. These visualizations can be used for training, pilot testing, and process validation during the implementation process. This is a highly valuable tool as having documented procedures is critical to a successful ERP roll-out strategy.
Onboarding
Infor has also helped refine the ERP roll-out strategy when it comes to new hire onboarding. Many companies are experiencing higher turnover rates than ever before. Leveraging a virtual, on-demand trainer and Infor University, and providing visual process flows for new users to follow, helps organizations address the constant need to train new hires and those moving to new responsibilities.
We have found that the adoption rate of core ERP functionality is much greater with the infrastructure provided by Infor. Conversely, we see significant degradation of proper use of the ERP where there is no supporting infrastructure in place. The use of spreadsheets, various unnecessary reports, and work arounds are often found in organizations without documented procedures and training toolsets.
End users will always need to be trained. But with the model Infor has provided, you get there quicker and more cost efficiently.
Summary
The Visual South team has helped hundreds of customers implement Infor ERP to improve manufacturing operations. We bring 30 years of valuable experience, wisdom, and guidance to assist our customers. The Infor CloudSuite ERP toolset has made those efforts significantly better due to having well-educated users and documented procedures.
For more information about the Infor ERP implementation toolset and how it should integrated with your ERP roll-out strategy, reach out for a free 30-minute consultation. Schedule your free consultation here.
