Enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms such as NetSuite hold a lot of promise for companies that want to streamline their operations, leverage emerging capabilities, and get a unified view of their business operations. These robust systems also help companies improve efficiency, boost productivity, and enhance reporting, among other benefits.
In certain situations, however, an organization’s initial expectations aren’t met on the first go-round. This is usually because getting the system in place is one thing, but leveraging its full range of capabilities and functionalities may require a bit more work.
Companies may be unhappy with their ERP implementations for several reasons. Maybe they set unrealistic expectations that weren’t properly addressed by an experienced implementation partner, or perhaps they neglected to factor in the substantial organizational shift that the project required. In other cases, the project costs and timelines changed as the implementation progressed (most often due to a lack of clear project scope at the outset) or poor data resulted in unexpected errors and inefficiencies.
Even companies that do successfully navigate an initial ERP implementation aren’t always happy with the final results. A growing organization may move off a basic system like QuickBooks and onto NetSuite, for example, without realizing the full capabilities that the latter offers. With its new ERP in place, the company is then left to manage system optimization and customization after the fact.
This is where NetSuite Alliance Partner Vursor really shines. Equipped with decades of experience implementing NetSuite, Vursor’s managed services offering helps companies get more out of their ERPs than they ever expected. “When your new ERP isn’t working as expected, we’re here to help,” says Drew Preiner, VP of sales. “We’ve helped companies of all industries truly optimize, tailor and expand their NetSuite instance, and take other steps to extract maximum value from their technology investments.”
Lending a helping hand
As Solutions Architect and Delivery Leader at Vursor, Devon Aubert has seen more than his fair share of companies that need help achieving their ERP implementation goals and/or gaining more value out of their investments. Aubert understands that when an ERP is implemented thoughtfully and used effectively, it can become a powerful tool for driving organizational efficiency, growth, and profitability. When an initial implementation doesn’t deliver on those promises, frustration can start to set in pretty quickly.
“Inefficiencies in NetSuite can create bad internal processes, with users developing workarounds and even ‘hiding’ potential issues both in terms of functionality and reporting,” Aubert says. Once on the case, Vursor can create new automations and workflows that help resolve those issues, many of which may go undetected.
Optimization isn’t always a “one and done” exercise. For example, business requirements usually evolve over time, with existing ERP configurations unable to support that growth or scale along with the company. Users who are familiar with the ERP may implement their own workarounds and/or conflicting automations that may either undo the original configurations or lead to bigger problems down the road.
“Companies get to a point where they're band-aiding solution after solution,” Aubert points out. “When the situation reaches a boiling point, we’re usually called upon to step in and basically do a complete overhaul to get everything back on track.”
Assessing the Root Cause
When assessing companies’ current NetSuite ERP challenges and goals, Vursor approaches every new project much like an auto mechanic would when working on a vehicle that’s not operating properly. The NetSuite partner starts with a full assessment of the current ERP to identify where the potential problems lie. This is an important step because a single, global issue could be impacting a company’s entire downstream workflow.
Vursor’s technical team also looks for any workarounds that users may rely on to get tasks completed in the ERP. “We want to understand the full picture—from the issues they’re facing, anything that’s not working as expected and so forth,” says Preiner. “Through it all, we’re assessing the root cause and developing a blueprint to get the customer to a steady state moving forward.”
You Can’t Just Set it and Forget it
ERPs are powerful tools for streamlining operations, but the initial implementation is often only the beginning. Taking a “set it and forget it” approach to a new ERP implementation doesn’t work, mainly because off-the-shelf software systems simply weren’t built to accommodate every single organization’s specific needs. Plus, business processes tend to unravel over time as companies grow, employees change roles and people lose visibility over why things were set up a specific way at the outset.
By optimizing your ERP, you’ll be able to fine-tune its functionalities, automate new tasks and get your reporting down to a science. Over the long run, these moves will save you money, help improve efficiency, increase user satisfaction and ensure that your company is ready to adapt to changing business requirements.
“At Vursor, we help companies define their standard operating procedures and ensure that those SOPs are aligned with both current and future processes,” says Aubert. “This also provides an effective ‘sanity check,’ to ensure that companies are staying true to their ERP’s most effective practices.”
Initial ERP implementations may not always live up to expectations, but an experienced partner like Vursor can help you extract more value and benefits from your technology investment. Contact us today.