It can be daunting considering a move to a new ERP system. Whilst the current ways of working may not be great, getting past the familiarity is a challenge. You know what you are doing at present. A new system... well, will it be OK?

The short answer should be a resounding 'yes!'. This article's intention is to both reassure you and caution you. Don't sign up for a new ERP system without doing your homework!

How long do your existing processes take?

Before you start looking at other systems, getting your head around this is key. If you don't know how long the steps take, how will you compare with other systems? Even getting a rough idea will help you to test the ERP options available to you.

There may be some processes (or steps) that are / could be bottlenecks. Identify these and make these central to your ERP evaluations. Make sure that you are improving the bottlenecks, or at least not making them worse.

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What processes are critical in your business?

For most organisations, moving to an ERP system means that some of your processes will need to change. The ERP system will work in a certain way and you need to be clear how. If you can't live with the processes put forward then you need to know that upfront.

Some of your processes will be OK to change and there is a good chance that adopting a new process will be good for you. ERP systems aren't built by chance. Knowing this, being clear about this, is key during the selection process.

Remember the 'greater good'!

You might find that some of the features of an ERP system look like they will take longer than your current method to complete. There is a good chance that spending more time on a certain process will help you somewhere else. Yet, you need to find this out. Don't leave this to chance, know where the gains are coming from.

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Get a proper demo

This brings us to the importance of having good demos and trialling the software. One of the reasons we made Fraction ERP a cloud based system was for this reason. We want you to find out if Fraction is going to help your business.

It should help you to speed up your processes, but only you can determine this. If you want to find out more, fill in the form at the end of this article.

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You will improve over time

Without doubt you will improve over time. You, and your team, will find better ways to work with the ERP system you choose. Your efficiency will improve, so don't worry on day one of the trial if it is a little slower.

Please bear these points in mind and choose wisely with your system.