Infor has released more functional enhancements for VISUAL ERP in the last 24 months than we normally see. Infor VISUAL ERP Product Manager Rich Lagoy and the VISUAL ERP steering committee are driving out new functionality at a faster pace than before, delivering quarterly updates to the large VISUAL ERP user base and new sales customers.
Visual South is often asked by potential customers if it’s possible to try the Infor ERP software. The answer to that question is yes; we’d be happy to arrange a test drive of the software for you. However, we do ask that you complete a few steps prior to the ERP trial to ensure our software would be a good fit for your functionality needs and budget.
Before I go into the right and wrong ways to run your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system demo process, let’s establish what it is you should be evaluating during the entire selection process. Obviously, it’s ERP, but it’s not only ERP. You will also be entering into a long-term relationship with the company providing implementation and ongoing services. Your implementation provider is as important to the success of your ERP project as choosing the right software. That may sound like a bold statement, but think of it this way: Buying a plane doesn’t make you a pilot. Training, practice, and passing certification tests does. Buying ERP doesn’t implement it. Developing new procedures, training, practice, and successfully completing real-life scenarios does. Who assists you through all this? Your implementation provider. ERP is worthless if it’s not implemented properly, so don’t overlook the importance of your implementation provider.
Searching for and evaluating ERP software is difficult. Really difficult. There are so many different terms, products, markets, deployment models, and technologies, that it can be hard to narrow down your choices to a select few. I talk with people all the time who have undertaken this challenge, and clarity is a challenge. Occasionally, companies pay a selection consultant for help figuring out which solutions to learn more about.
Let’s talk about the Porsche 911 and Chevy Spark. While both are cars, there is a big difference between the two. The 911 is a refined sports car with a base price of $91,000. The Spark is an economy car with a base price of $13,050. Both will get you safely from point A to point B; both have an engine, doors, windows, breaks, airbags, etc. Clearly though, they are not the same and aren’t even in the same market. They appeal to different types of buyers and are designed with that buyer in mind. If you go no further than category of vehicles and only look at price, you could end up buying a Spark, going to the racetrack, and being on the receiving end of a humbling experience.
Every month, I talk with people looking to buy an ERP system; and I also talk with customers who have been using ERP for years and years. I am exposed to the entire ERP spectrum. At one end are potential customers who articulate the issues they are experiencing by not having an integrated ERP system; and what they want the new ERP system to do for them. On the other end are customers who have an integrated ERP system that is working very well for them. In the middle are customers who aren’t getting the most they could out of ERP because the users either don’t understand what ERP could do for them, or they don’t know how to set it up to give them what they want.
I spent the first two days of November working with the VISUAL Focus executive committee developing the agenda and breakout sessions for the VISUAL user conference organized and hosted by Visual South, Synergy Resources and BizTech. The conference will be held October 21-24, 2018 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL.
If you are in the process of choosing an ERP, it’s important to consider the company you could be partnering with. An ERP selection is a big decision in many ways, one that will affect your company for years to come. But it’s not entirely about the product itself (although making sure it has a good evaluation is important). The partnership you enter into with the vendor must also be the right move for your company. You should be comfortable on a variety of levels with this partnership, but here are the top three things to consider as you shop around:
