Moving from spreadsheets to ERP
One of the challenges many of our new customers have is making the move from a spreadsheet to an ERP system.
Spreadsheets offer a supreme level of flexibility; who doesn't love a spreadsheet?
However, with flexibility often comes a system that is prone to error, indiscipline and unnecessary repetition.
So, let's say that you are ready to move to a system that is designed to help you streamline the planning and administration that supports your production activities. How do you go about it?
Commit to the ERP system
Step one is to agree that working through an ERP system is the way that you want to work.
Not part working with the system; embracing it fully. This might mean that you will need to change some of the ways that you work.
Don't fight with the system. If you have carried out your selection correctly, you should find that even with a little bit of compromise you'll be better off overall committing to the system.
Make the ERP system the centre of your data
If a delivery date changes, it needs to be updated in your ERP system.
If a quantity changes on a bill of materials, it needs to be updated in your ERP system.
Do you get the idea?
There is no point updating your disconnected spreadsheets and not updating your ERP system, as this data will drive other activities (scheduling and purchasing, in the above examples).
Unfortunately, this is a situation that we see all too often. Your ERP system needs to be the centre of your 'order and engineering data' universe. If anyone has a query, the ERP system should be the first (and only) place you need to go to.
Compare and contrast
To move away from your spreadsheets you'll need to review what information your existing spreadsheets hold and map this to your ERP system.
Perhaps the bulk of the data will be stored in the sales order book, or the works order book. It is typical that a spreadsheet will be orientated around a handful of information types and these should align with most ERP systems.
The point of this step is to clarify what data from your spreadsheets is already available somewhere in your ERP system.
Determine the split (if any)
Hopefully the last step has mapped all of information from your spreadsheets into your ERP system.
If there is some very business specific data still in your spreadsheets there might be a need to keep a basic spreadsheet tracker running alongside your ERP system. However, we urge you to look at your ERP system and try to find any custom fields, or normal fields that you can re-purpose, to move away from needing a separate spreadsheet.
Pick a date
Decide when you are going to move fully to your ERP system and inform the team(s) affected.
Assign responsibilities
Determine who is going to be in charge of looking after certain parts of the ERP system and inform them.
Make clear to them the expectations of updating the system and keeping the data whole and clean (right dates, quantities etc...). Develop the routine, document the standards, keep the system in order.
Continuous improvement
Once you have moved across from your spreadsheets and retired them, you can move into a phase of making your processes better.
Use this period of time to learn more about your ERP system and find ways to increase your personal productivity by utilising the tools that are included with it. ERP systems, and systems like this, are designed to streamline administration so take advantage of this opportunity.
Do not miss this step. You want to ensure that you are in a better position now than you were before you were working solely with spreadsheets.
Free two week trial
The best way to evaluate an ERP system, and see if you can move away from your spreadsheets to it, is to try it out.
At Fraction ERP, we offer a free two week trial so that you can let your team play with our system and put some test orders through it. There is nothing comparable to a test drive. It works for buying a car and it works for an ERP system.
If this is of interest to you, we recommend that you join us for a quick online demo before getting the keys. Alternatively, you can watch the full walkthrough video here.
If you find yourself with struggling to move away from your spreadsheets to an ERP system, we hope that the above steps give you some ideas to help you make the change.
And, if you are still mulling it over, everyone we speak to about this journey says the same thing:
"we should have done this years ago!"