We implement differently

Implementation in traditional ERP is a project based affair. It is built on buy-customize-implement model. Precise boundaries are drawn – schedules are made – who would do what and when etc. etc. The responsibility of software vendor gets over when the ERP software is run successfully ONCE in your organization. Everything revolves around the buzzwords like ‘customization’ and ‘configuration’ and ‘Go live project’.

‘Cooperation’ and ‘Change’ are the foundation stones in ERP service. ERP service model is built on the basic promise that ‘Change’ is the only constant everywhere. In service model, the relationship starts building as your business adapts to ERP. This relationship will mature and grow over time.

As your business organization adapts to ERP, it would need more support and refinement in its working. People in the organization would need finer analysis, better presentations. More and more business processes will be brought under ERP. In ERP service model, you continue to grow your portfolio of services almost every week. In traditional ERP, it has to wait for the next big ‘customization’ project for next year.

Cooperation is not a marketing gimmick in ERP service- it is the very rationale of service model. We listen to your business problems, your changing needs and ever changing government changes and legal environment. We then tailor the software to suit your needs, develop new models and configure the same at our end first. It is then implemented at your end almost as a continuous process.

Traditional ERP Implementation

This is how a traditional project based implementation work

Requirements from each department are collected.
Current documents and available printouts are taken.
A definitive scope of work is drawn. The scope of implementation and areas to be covered are written and signed off.
A project plan is drawn. It talks of work scope, deadlines and assignment of work to different people.
ERP software is bought and loaded at customers end. Now for the next few weeks / months, it will be configured to suit the requirements of customer. This job will normally be done at customers’ end.
Sample data is fed in. Working models are shown to customers. Their feedbacks are taken and incorporated.
After a set of trials and signoffs on requested changes, the project goes live. Now the data would be entered and business activities would be done as per the newly configured software.
Software vendors would do routine training and hand holding for a while ( one week or so ), then the project is declared over.
Now onwards, it will be managed by the company.

This is JUST NOT the way, we implement ERP service.

Implementation under ERP Service

Implementing ERP under the service agreement is vastly different from regular project based affair. This is a rough sketch of how the activities are handled.

Stage 1: Initial implementation

Current documents and operations of the company are studied. Detailed discussions are held with company executives and their suggestions and observations about new requirements are compiled. Note that there is no burden on company to provide with their requirements. There is no signoff / project scope or boundaries drawn.

Based on these discussions, we prepare e-kards for business processes. These are discussed with company executives and approved on.

In almost all cases, there would be some data for the current company operations like invoices made, purchases done, finance etc. We take this data and start building the system to suit the business processes defined. Related reports are formatted and run with the live data. This all is done at our end.

Above process is repeated for all major areas. Finally a live system with data is transferred to customers’ end.

Customers work with the live data. Fresh data is entered regularly and any changes are suitably made.

Stage 2 : Continuous Upgrades

Stage 1 often covers only 50% of the intended implementation. Now onwards, any upgrades / changes desired by the customer are developed and implemented at our end. These are sent thru internet to customer installation and incorporated. This is a continous process. The coverage of implementation keeps increasing every day.

New modules / new areas are developed / implemented in the similar fashion. There is no marked start – end of project.