By Eric Larson
If you’re responsible for the ERP system at your organization, transitioning to a work from home format may have been a stressful thought, especially if your company isn’t set up for that. Getting used to holding all meetings via Zoom is one thing, but how have you adjusted the systems that manage and automate your business processes while keeping employees productive and your data safe?
Don’t panic. If you do it right, ERP can still run smoothly from afar—in fact, you can use it to your benefit.
Move to the cloud
At this point, if your ERP system isn’t operating in a cloud-based format, now would be a good time to make the switch. With ERP in the cloud, staff can access the system from any device—all they need is a browser.
For companies using server-based ERP programs, employees will need a secure way to access the program remotely. This can be done by setting up a virtual private network (VPN) for any employees who will be working from home and ensure it can handle everyone who needs to use it. VPNs, however, can be costly and time-consuming, from an IT perspective and confusing from a business user perspective.
In our opinion, moving to the cloud is the best possible solution for our “new normal” scenario. You’ll be allowing employees to execute business processes remotely, without the need to log in from their work computer. The connection is completely secure, too, which should stifle some worries with so many employees working from home.
Integrate. Integrate. Integrate.
Sending your staff, and your processes “home” provides a certain level of concern and risk, especially if you’ve finally gotten into a groove with your ERP. But, if you can get all of your programs integrated and working together harmoniously, your employees can actually communicate and execute workflows through the software. ERP integration involves connecting the software with other applications to share data across the systems, improving productivity and garnering new insights.
For example, you could integrate ERP with your Client Relationship Management (CRM) system to track critical client data and vice versa. Sales data, for example, might be synced into your CRM to help teams better manage their client relationships. No matter how or what you integrate, it makes processes and operations more efficient and keeps things centralized. And we could all use a little bit more of anything that makes our lives easier during this pandemic.
While a vaccine is here, the days of full-staffed office buildings are likely a thing of the past. Some, if not all of your operations may continue to be remote once this crisis is over. In the meantime, your ERP has to be prioritized for today’s world. We can help you get started, whether it’s a small shift to help things run more smoothly, or overhauling your system and making the move to the cloud.
Let’s chat, via ZOOM of course. 😉
