This post has been updated and published here: An Eye for Optimization: The Importance of an Annual System Review
You implemented your ERP system with eager optimism, and perhaps you saw initials results. In your excitement you created some financial reports, automated some workflows, reduced duplicate data entry and tried a ton of other things. But now, after a few years you’ve noticed that your business management processes may not be aligned with your overall strategy.
You’ve got stuff all over the place and you’re not sure you even like it any more.
Don’t start from scratch. Request a System Review.
When many companies realize the hapless state of their financial system and data, they assume that they need to implement a new ERP system to get a fresh start. But you’re way smarter than that.
All you need is someone who can thoroughly evaluate and review what you’ve worked hard to implement and make it wonderful again.
What is a System Review?
A System Review is a 1 to 2-hour discussion between your team and a Consultant at BCS ProSoft that can be held over the phone or in your office. System Reviews are a value-added service offered by BCS ProSoft for new clients who may or may not already be using one of the ERP systems we support or existing clients who need to reexamine their business goals for a variety of reasons.
The goal of this conversation is to evaluate how you are currently using the system (your current state), identify your pain points and challenges (bottlenecks, delays, missing information and information you have to get outside of your system), and what it would look like if you could resolve all these issues and use your system more efficiently and effectively (your ideal state).
After your System Review your consultant will provide a recap of the meeting and an estimate detailing what it would take to move from your current state to your ideal state. Remember, the review and the recap report are complimentary. You will not be charged for any services until you agree to engage us to help you implement the necessary changes to improve your use of your system.
What’s an Effectiveness Review?
If you’ve purchased a system like Deltek Vision, Sage 100, or NetSuite ERP from BCS ProSoft in the past 5 years you’ve probably had an Effectiveness Review. This is a service that you pay for during a new implementation and is conducted 6 months after the go-live date. The Effectiveness Review covers all of the same goals in greater detail than a System Review. Effectiveness Review is led by consultant that that implemented your system so there is a lot less discovery work since they already have a good grasp of how your business operates. During the Effectiveness Review we also look at how effectively your team is using the new system and how your team is applying what they learned during training.
When do I need a System Review?
Technology is constantly changing and businesses must evolve over time. Agile companies that embrace change and quickly adapt ride the wave of profitability while those that do not slowly fade away into the vast ocean of irrelevance (Xerox or Blockbuster anyone?). Point being—there are many different things that change during the life of a business that may require you to reevaluate your internal process and, at the very least, review the systems you use to run your business. For example:
- Has your company grown? Has it shrunk?
- Have your customers’ requirements changed?
- Do you have the same type of projects you’ve always had?
- Do you carry new products in your inventory?
- Have you set personal goals to become more green or use less paper?
- Has some new government regulation made your standard way of reporting on your projects, inventory or your income less effective or less “natural” straight out of the box?
These are great indicators that you might be due for a System Review.
Why do I need a System Review?
According to AAA the average annual cost to own and operate your car is about $8,000. That includes the cost of fuel, maintenance, oil changes, tires, insurance, license and registration, fees, taxes, depreciation and finance charges associated with driving the typical sedan 15,000 miles per year. The same logic applies to your accounting, finance and other business management systems.
Think of it as a checkup for your system and internal processes. Initially you spent a considerable amount of money and your own time implementing your ERP software and the environment where it resides. Furthermore, you pay for recurring maintenance fees, ongoing upgrades to your IT infrastructure, as well as labor and expenses associated with running your systems and maintaining that infrastructure. Just like your car, this investment needs to be services every now and then to make sure that it is performing optimally and that your team is using it properly.
What if nothing has changed?
Perhaps nothing has changed since you’ve gone live on your system. Maybe during your initial Implementation and configuration there were features that you ignored for the sake of expediency. Maybe there were things that you didn’t really understand during configuration and now you wish you could change them. There might even be new features that didn’t even exist when you purchased your system that may solve an issue that you have right now. A System Review will help you uncover these issues and identify opportunities for improvement.
How much of your business do you manage outside of your ERP system in a product like Microsoft Excel? Relying on third party software for your operations is a good indication that you may not be using your system to its full potential and is a great reason to schedule a System Review with a consultant from BCS ProSoft.
Request a “Mini” System Review from BCS ProSoft
There are a number of reasons why you might need a system review. At BCS ProSoft we’re more than your software consultant and we’re not just some break-fix company. We pride ourselves on being your trusted advisor to help you implement the right systems and optimize your business processes to operate as efficiently as possible and maximize the ROI on your financial management technology investments. Let’s start a dialogue towards better business efficiency a “mini” review of your systems and processes where we’ll determine if it makes sense to dive into a full System Review.
