Knowledge of software and IT is not enough for an ERP partner to help your equipment sales, rental and service organization succeed. Your ERP partner must know all the ins and outs of the equipment industry to help you realize your organization's ambitions.
It's a business project, not an IT project
There are still companies that treat ERP implementations as IT projects. But they aren't. ERP software means having one integrated solution that supports all business processes in order to move the business forward. So the ERP partner must have excellent knowledge of the business processes and know the issues and challenges customers face. Technology and infrastructure are important, but it is streamlined and perfectly automated processes that really make the difference. Think, for example, of the rental department where everything concerning rates, invoicing, transport, configuration, service level agreement, maintenance and insurance must be perfectly arranged in the system. This can only be achieved with an industry expert.
"In a good conversation about your business and the challenges you face, you'll know in no time if you're sitting at the table with the right party."
ERP software is developed with industry knowledge
Because ERP software supports your business processes, it is built or developed with industry knowledge. A successful ERP partner knows your type of business and applies that knowledge in the design and development of the ERP system. And when your industry changes and thus the requirements regarding the ERP software change, you don't have to worry about whether your ERP partner will respond. For example, think about trends in the market such as applying artificial intelligence or predicting maintenance based on big data. As soon as your organization is ready for this, your ERP partner can already provide a suitable solution.
Your ERP partner should help you grow
Your ERP partner should have a good understanding of your specific requirements and needs, but should also have a clear opinion of what the best practice is. If your ERP partner has helped several similar organizations improve business processes and create a foundation for growth, you can trust that experience. In fact, the ERP partner may even know better than you what your business processes should look like. For example, if they have made the service departments of dozens of other equipment dealers many times more efficient by deploying smart software solutions and optimizing business processes, the same may very well be true for your organization.
So when looking for an ERP partner, focus on the industry knowledge they have. Do they really understand how equipment dealers work? In a good conversation about your business and the challenges you face, you'll know in no time if you're sitting down with the right party.
