ERP, Digitization

Does your company need a new IT infrastructure?

Peter Dibbern03/25/2019

Is it time for a new ERP system? These are the signs that your current system is holding back your company's capabilities.

The older a system, the harder it will be to keep it running. Are you spending too much time and money constantly developing individual fixes, patches or customizations? Are mobile features missing? Does your software provider even threaten to stop providing support in the foreseeable future?

Even if the answer is "yes", many businesses are extremely patient with their old systems. Naturally system migration is no small thing in terms of time and expenditure. According to the latest representative Trovarit User Study , the average age of an ERP system is almost twelve years. Many IT environments hail from a time when smartphones and tablets were still only a vision of the future.

How do you know that your company is ready for a new IT infrastructure? These are the signs:

Errors and inefficiencies are multiplying

Legacy systems have a history. Multiple minor customizations and adaptations turn the system into a complex, inflexible and unstable structure. Solving software problems creates a bottleneck, as the responsibility for this task usually lies with a handful of employees who can still see the bigger picture.

Your company's requirements exceed the capacities of the system

If your business has grown since your ERP system was deployed, then the system may be pushed to its limits – especially if functionality, capacity and employee licenses are not configured or set up for the current scale.

Mobile functions are missing

Nowadays your customers expect to have direct access to billing and master data. Mobile billing or scanning of documents is a "must-have". And mobile devices have now become an indispensable part of our daily work routine. These days, mobile working and the home office are practically the norm. Can you give your employees this flexibility? Does your ERP system provide the multiple benefits of mobile functionality?

Your staff are forced to work at a slower pace

Outdated systems are often unable to offer certain functions which are now standard. Furthermore, they are unable to meet the growing demands of your employees for clarity and user-friendliness, and due to their limited capacities, lead to inefficient workflows.

Access to real-time information is laborious

When searching for information takes up too much time, this can slow down business-critical decisions. Many companies still work with Excel tables – with the major disadvantage that accessing real-time information is practically impossible.

No further support from the manufacturer

When the manufacturer of your software stops maintenance, or ceases support altogether, then of course it really is high time! If this happens, your organization will be left high and dry to handle any issues that may occur. Resolving these problems then becomes a time-consuming business, which can sometimes hold back your entire enterprise. To make matters worse, it can be difficult to recruit junior employees who still know their way around the "old technology".

Conclusion

Don't wait too longto update your IT infrastructure. The longer you leave it, then the more work will be needed in the digital transformation of processes and the development of know-how in the workforce. 

Companies often spend far too long simply discussing this topic without actually doing anything about it. This time could be better invested in practical measures. Because there really is no need to turn your entire system landscape upside down in one fell swoop. Instead, you should approach the solution in small steps, introducing changes in minor areas. And there are so many ways to achieve this!
 

Did you recognize at least one of the signs in your own IT system? Which digital strategy are you pursuing within your company?

Have you already heard of the COSMO CONSULT Digital Maturity Check? If you would like to know where you currently stand in terms of digital transformation and how you can get ahead quickly, then simply click here!

 

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Author:
Peter Dibbern
Business Development Manager with focus on Industry Solutions | COSMO CONSULT SSC GmbH