Page 29 - Logistics News - July August 2023

SO FT S KILLS / ERP

into consideration and view the bigger picture. You could intangible ‘something’ that helps us tune into the kaleidoscope
also embrace different situations and view challenges as of human emotions and measures how adept we are at
opportunities – mindset change is a game-changer. adjusting our behaviour depending on the mood of a colleague,
partner, family member or our own internal feelings. EI can
5. Emotional intelligence (EI) be gained and improved at any point in life. We, at The People
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, evaluate and Shop, have seen how it can have a tangible improvement in
respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others. Co- employee engagement, resilience and stress management
author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Travis Bradberry explains and its effect on business productivity, success and business
that emotional intelligence “is the other kind of smart”. It’s that revenue and bottom line. •

Switching ERP? Here’s what to consider

By Paul Bouchier, Sales Director at iOCO, an EOH company

Organisations running an older enterprise resource planning (ERP) system are
often pleasantly surprised when they see demos of the modern, easy-to-use,

flexible and powerful ERP systems being sold today. This often propels the ‘we
need a new ERP’ conversation.

eading ERP vendors have invested in programmes to drivers for ERP replacement include that the existing
make moving to their new cloud-based ERP products system will not scale to support business growth, that
Leasier than it has been in the past – and they tout this the features and capabilities needed aren’t present in
during the sales process. But easier does not mean easy. the existing product and are not included in the vendor’s
Switching ERP is not like changing your cell phone provider. near-term roadmap, and that the industry has experienced
It is still expensive and disruptive. Whether or not to switch, disruption. Old business models and systems are no
and how to switch, need to be considered carefully. longer adequate and you need to undertake a digital
transformation to stay competitive.
When switching to a new ERP, it is important to define
the business’s five- to10-year objectives, evaluate the ERP functionality and technology roadmap
ERP vendor’s roadmap and its investment in technology, In the past, ERP suites from most major vendors were
evaluate the latest product from the existing vendor versus delivered as huge one-size-fits-all deployments. Some
products from competitors and prepare the organisation for vendors still take this approach. However, with the advent
the move to software as a service (SaaS) ERP. of SaaS, more ERP vendors are delivering suites tailored
to specific vertical industries to minimise the need for
Remember that the grass is not always greener. customisations. Consider the following points when
Switching one ERP vendor for another will not automatically switching ERP:
provide the benefits you seek.
Functionality and fit for your vertical industry. Since
Five- to 10-year business objectives customisations to vendor-delivered code are no longer
To fully realise the benefits of an ERP solution, your permitted, organisations need to determine how much of
company’s ERP strategy must align with your business a fit the SaaS ERP suite is out of the box. Some vendors
objectives. Define and document your business strategy provide SaaS ERP tailored to vertical industries such as
before beginning an ERP replacement process. Common manufacturing, food and beverage, public sector, etc.

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