Telltale signs it’s time for your business systems to have an MOT
When you hear the abbreviation ‘MOT’, you think of your car, the same with getting your vehicle serviced. The first apparent reason our vehicle goes through an MOT is the fact it’s a legal requirement. However, servicing is optional. The AA comment on servicing: ‘It can be a false economy to avoid regular car servicing, since expected wear and tear requiring minor maintenance, can fast become a costly major repair or replacement’. The same thing needs to be said for your business information systems. We want you to understand that your systems will not automatically update to reflect changes in your business. Neglecting your systems will leave them out of alignment with your overall business strategy and unable to respond to the needs of your customers.
Business Systems MOT – ensuring your systems are as hard working as you are
Our unique health check has three steps:
Step 1: Preparation
We will carry out a strategic review to gain an understanding of your business, and its challenges and opportunities. Alongside this, a system review will cover licences, modules, upgrades, disaster recovery etc. to give us a full picture of your business. Business systems might typically include ERP, CRM, HR or just Finance.
Step 2: Inspection
Your employees who use the business systems will be invited to complete a comprehensive questionnaire. Although this is comprehensive, it is by no means daunting. The purpose of this exercise is to gather full feedback on how they currently use the software as well as any off-system work that has sprung up.
Step 3: Results
This step focuses on creating a comprehensive report based on the findings from the detailed work in the first two steps. This contains a Gap Analysis between the needs of the business and the setup of the system, with recommendations that deliver a benefit or address identified issues.
Post MOT we will present you with an action plan detailing the steps needed to ensure your business information systems meet your latest objectives, remove inefficiencies and safeguard your investment.
But most importantly, re-engages your users.
Is it time for a system health check?
As businesses and markets evolve, business information systems will start to show signs of diverging from alignment and becomes less and less of a business enabler. Using the latest lean thinking, Gradient’s consultants can help you streamline your processes and working practices and integrate them with your system. Taking a look at the questions and statements below is the start of the process.
There is still a reliance on separate bits of software
We waste time entering data
You’re using a variety of different systems
Re-entry of data occurs within my business
We ask multiple people for one piece of information
How easy is it to know the state of the business?
How difficult is it to produce accurate forecasts?
Ultimately, could my business be more competitive?
Do we have department/function specific databases?
Do we have multiple versions of the truth?
We’ll help you make an informed decision:
10 Signs Your Company Needs to Review Systems. So you have systems in place, but the company has evolved and grown over time. Often people don’t notice just how out of line the people, systems and desired deliverables have become.
Keeping The ERP Dream Alive. Be inspired and open your thoughts about instigating continuous improvement programmes after the ERP implementation is complete.
Is it time to upgrade your ERP solution? Find out whether an ERP upgrade is the right decision for your organisation. Check out our tell-tale signs that it's time for an ERP upgrade.