Do you encounter a problem in your ERP system? Then of course you can always contact your software partner. The employees there know better than anyone what you need to do to get the system up and running again quickly. But that will cost you time and money. And you can solve a lot of problems yourself, without intervention by the software partner. Here are a few tips to help you solve software problems more effectively.
1. Carefully read the error message
Are you unable to proceed when preparing a quotation or creating a work order because an error message pops up on your screen? Don't panic, but first read the error message carefully. Many users immediately click away an error message and ask for help. For example, by picking up the phone and calling the software partner. Sometimes this is also necessary because there may be a bug in the software or a complicated problem in the settings. But it could also be that you forgot to fill in a certain field or check a box. Usually an error message will tell you exactly where the problem is and what value(s) are missing.
2. Take advantage of the test environment
Changes in an ERP system are (if done properly) never immediately pushed through to the production database (the environment you and your colleagues work in). This is done first in the test environment in order to test the impact of the change, both on the process to which the change relates and on other processes associated with it. Only when it all works well is it transferred to the production/live environment. This is something you can do perfectly well yourself. Want to change a setting, adjust a process or put new functionality into use? Feel free to test yourself in the test environment whether this goes well and produces the desired result. You can always ask the software partner for advice or confirmation, but you have probably taken the first step(s) yourself. In this way you will firstly gain more insight into the software yourself and secondly you will have fewer costs because you will not have to call in your software partner as often. A third advantage is that you can plan when you want to test in the test environment.
3. Ask the key user first
Chances are that the ERP system in your organization has one or more key users (core users). These are users of the system who are heavily involved in setting up the system and have good knowledge of the processes and how the software supports them. They are also responsible for training the other users in the organization. Therefore, if you encounter a question or problem related to the software, they are your first line support. If all goes well, the key users can answer many of your questions without interference from the software partner. And if the key user is sitting at the desk across from you (or in an office down the hall), you will be helped much faster as well.
Don't underestimate what you can do yourself to make optimal use of the ERP system. Many errors you can fix yourself and many processes you can test yourself. And if you don't know, there is the expert in your organization that you can turn to. This is often much faster, cheaper and more effective than asking the software partner for help. But if necessary, you can always count on your software partner. There is a solution to every problem and an answer to every question.
Luuk Busschers is a Consultant at Dysel and helps customers achieve their goals by deploying industry-specific ERP software.
