Grace Freeman, Sage Intacct Consultant, Percipient, looks at how the cloud has revolutionised ERP deployments and shares her 5 steps to achieving best-in-class capabilities in as little as 9 weeks.
This year has demanded agility in spades, with COVID-19 and the associated ramifications dictating huge changes for many businesses. Brewers have become hand sanitiser manufacturers; fashion houses turned into PPE outfits; and hotels transformed into hostels in the quest to balance lost revenue streams with new opportunities. And on the back of recent announcements, this period of volatility looks set to continue for some time yet.
While those businesses which have embraced digital transformation and deployed modern systems have been in good shape to manage the onslaught of change, those with older, disparate, or simply outgrown systems have found themselves at a significant disadvantage.
But with many eyeing up 2021 on the back foot, taking steps to address system shortfalls by launching digital transformation projects or instigating big ERP deployments might not seem entirely appealing. Having had business disruption forced upon them, many are understandably reluctant to mandate further disruption, irrespective of the end goal.
Cloud-Shaped Silver Linings
But as with any storm, there are silver linings, and in 2020, these silver linings are, ironically, cloud shaped.
In recent years, the cloud has proved to be a game changer in ERP, expediting deployments and facilitating capabilities quickly and easily, allowing enterprises to accelerate both performance and ROI. New offerings such as Sage Intacct embody these benefits, providing flexible APIs combined with powerful accounting systems and standard connectivity to a range of third-party platforms.
This combination means that each department can access the best-of-breed functionality they need while consolidating data from across the entire business in one place for enhanced control, decision-making and planning – all in as little as nine weeks.
Everything-as-a-Service
But of course, anyone involved in an ERP roll-out will testify that going live is just the beginning of the journey. This is why Sage Intacct provides not only best-in-class capabilities, four automatic upgrades per year and comprehensive product support but also the option to take advantage of our consultancy-as-a-service and support-as-a-service options to assist planning, keep costs in check and optimise value.
Percipient’s Sage Intacct proposition represents a win-win for modern businesses. And because the software can integrate easily and scale exponentially – from start-up to large corporate, it’s entirely feasible that this might be the last upgrade you’ll ever need.
5 Steps to Accelerated ERP
1. Prioritise flexibility
It goes without saying that selecting the right capabilities is crucial, but ensuring the software can support the unique needs of each department to optimise performance. A one size fits all approach rarely delivers – flexibility and the ability to integrate with specialist systems are key.
2. Embrace the cloud
While the cloud isn’t necessarily the right option for everyone, for those looking to deploy capabilities quickly and minimise their IT footprint without compromising on performance, it delivers.
3. Remote control
Select a partner with experience in managing remote deployments and a strong track record of success.
4. Team building
The success of any ERP project is intrinsically linked to the level of commitment and buy-in from teams across providers, partners, and end users. Establishing and securing buy-in from the right team is therefore crucial in meeting tight timescales and expediting value.
5. Be realistic
While a remote deployment for cloud ERP can take weeks, it’s important to factor in potential interruptions to allocated resources, the extent of data migration involved and other events which might delay progress. But with the right team, roadmap and capabilities, new ERP could be yours much sooner than you might imagine.
Sage Intacct Specialists
If you would like to know more about Percipient or how we can help to improve your back office finance function, get in touch or call 01606 871332.