ERPAdvisorsGroup

http://erpadvisorsgroup.com/​ 866-499-8550 Our flagship seminar, "What To Do When You Outgrow Your Accounting Software" held in Denver.

The Founder and Managing Principal of ERP Advisors Group, Shawn Windle, provides insights on how to ensure you find the right software on your ERP selection. https://www.erpadvisorsgroup.com​ 866-499-8550

As we approach the end of the year, companies are looking at going live with their ERP. But don't botch your implementation just to make the deadline — here's why. Transcript: This is Shawn Windle with ERP Advisors Group and we're running into another interesting problem that I want to share with you real quickly here today. So this is kind of a usual time where companies are looking at going live before the end of the year. The concept here is "hey, let's get into the new system at the end of the year. So then in the New Year, we have the new system ready to get the entire year's worth of data in there. It makes a lot of sense, but there's a couple things that you have to think about. The first one is, don't muff the go-live. So even if you've got this plan to do end-of-year and and you know that you're not quite ready — meaning that the expectations that you set with the user, with the end users — that they're not really going to be able to do what you need them to do in the software — it's not worth it. Don't force the end of your go-live for that reason. And the second, other major important part, is data migration, right? Because I want all my data from the whole year in one system. Totally, that makes sense, but here's the key: it's more important to get to go live right to make sure that the code and the functionality that you promised is in place, and then you can always bring in next year's data into your new system. So it might be worth doing a February 1 or a March 1 go-live. You got a couple months of data, just bring it into your new system. Make sure that users are set. And I know there's audits, and I know there's taxes and everything else into the New Year, but listen, please get that first go-live right because you only get one chance with that. Thank you. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

The right software solution isn’t necessarily what everyone else is using. It needs to fit the company and industry — as Erica Windle, the Principal of Operations for ERP Advisors Group, explains in this video. #leadnotfollow​ #erpselection​ Transcript: Hi, I'm Erica Windle, the principal of operations for ERP Advisors Group based out of Denver, Colorado. I've had something on my mind: I head up the sales for ERP Advisors Group and I would say that we come across two different camps of companies who are looking at making a change in their technology. I would say one camp leans towards what we have to use, what everybody else in the industry is using versus the other camp is very open to, well, "Should we look at the industry best of breed for our company," whether it's steel distribution, seafood, hotel distribution, a parking authority, you name it — cattleman leasing. So we definitely always help our clients look at what the options are, that's catered to their industry, and then we also help them see how more of a broad-based platform can help them to scale and use technology to grow the business. It's very interesting. I mean, all the clients I can think of through the last many years, they do — I would say 95 percent end up in more of a horizontally based, broad-based ERP application that they can grow the whole organization with. So if you're looking for any help as to why you should or shouldn't pick what everybody else in your industry is using give us a call, even if it's just for a conversation or two. We can just give you some high-level ideas. The other thing is, why be a follower? Why do what everybody else is doing? They haven't gone out there and done the hard work to find out what really is best for your particular industry or company. Maybe there is a uniqueness out there you haven't uncovered and we can help you find that. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

As the holidays approach, the ERP world is looking at year-end go-lives. But don't do it if your users haven't tested your ERP implementation — it's not worth it, as Shawn Windle explains in this video. Transcript: Here we go! It looks like it's another holiday season here at the airport, which only means one thing, and that's go-lives. So just a couple things to keep in mind when you're looking at software and go lives: the most important thing is, don't do it unless your users have really tested. That's absolutely the most important thing. It's sort of like getting on an airplane and expecting it to fly when maybe the pilot hasn't actually taken it up in the air. Don't do it. It's not worth it and then the other thing to keep in mind for sure is data, data, data. It's sort of like the people that get on the airplane — without the people, the airplane is no good. So check your data, make sure everything's good, and again, get user sign off. Get the people that are really responsible for it to sign off on it, and you'll be good. And good luck, hope you have a good holiday season. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

Personnel are busy. So how do you implement an ERP project when they are already working 40-50 hours a week? Setting realistic expectations is crucial, as Shawn Windle explains in this video. Register for our next podcast: https://erpadvisorsgroup.com/events Transcript: Hey, this is Shawn with ERP Advisors again. Good to see you guys. I wanted to share with you something that I'm really finding pretty interesting as we're working with many different kinds of clients, and that's the involvement that the client personnel have to have in the implementation. So we've kind of seen the full gamut of clients that have all the time in the world and can put their attention into the ERP implementations. That's some clients, but in actuality most clients are so busy — personnel are super, super busy, probably already working 40-50 hours a week — and then we're going to give them the ERP project on top of that. And so you really do have to keep realistic expectations with what people are really able to do in this instance. And you know, especially when it comes to testing, especially when it comes to design and requirements validation, make sure you give your people some extra time. And you know what, if they're really killing it, and they're doing great, putting in some extra time, they may even deserve a little bit of a bonus. So it might be something to build into your ERP budget. Thanks. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

We've been seeing more competitive pricing from Microsoft recently — here are Shawn Windle's latest thoughts on Microsoft Dynamics 365. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

Know what you need and want before your first meeting with the implementation partner. Putting in a little bit of time to think through your requirements will pay off in terms of a faster and more efficient ERP implementation. erpadvisorsgroup.com // 866-499-8550 Transcript: Hi, it's Shawn Windle with ERP Advisors Group. I'm just getting done with some on-site work with a client who's preparing to start their implementation. It was quite interesting. We actually spent quite a bit of time getting them prepared to actually do what you think the implementation partner would do. So this is kind of important and why I wanted to do the video today. Basically when an implementation partner is ready to start your project, they're gonna show up and they're going to say, "Okay, what do you want?" They may ask a couple more questions, but the better you can tell them what you want up front, I guarantee the project is going to go a million times better. It's going to go faster, it's going to be cheaper. So it's really important that you put a little bit of time upfront to really kind of think through your requirements, usually by business process before the vendor shows up. Put the extra time in — it'll make a huge difference. Take care.

We've had clients asking us recently whether they should move from SAP to S/4HANA, and in this video, Erica Windle explains how we determine when the time is right to renew your enterprise software. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

ERP implementations can fail when end-user concerns aren't understood and properly addressed. In today's #LessonLearned​, hear from Shawn Windle how Change Management can make all the difference in your implementation. Transcript: This is Shawn Windle with ERP Advisors Group and I'm just wrapping up a trip here to Germany with a global rollout of an ERP package. And there's a really, really, really super lesson learned here that I want to share with you. And it's really about change management. Change management is not some airy fairy kind of topic. It's actually something that's real for projects and on this project we missed out on a couple of things that, looking at it, now I realize we should've gotten right. There were several users that were unhappy early on in the project. And as it turned out, now that we've gotten through go-live, they're even more unhappy. Surprise, surprise! So the key lesson learned here is when you have some people that are unhappy, go and talk to them specifically. Make the time to just sit down with them. Understand what their issues really are. Make sure they're not just complaining and most people don't just complain, right? There's real problems that are going on. Talk to them, get what the real problems are and solve them then, because it's only gonna get worse later, especially after go live. Thank you very much. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

http://erpadvisorsgroup.com/​ 866-499-8550 Our flagship seminar, "What To Do When You Outgrow Your Accounting Software" held in Denver. Your Trusted ERP Advisors ERP Help ERP Needs Assessment ERP Selection ERP Implementation

Shawn Windle explains how information flows through an organization's software — and why ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is more than the software itself. www.erpadvisorsgroup.com

http://erpadvisorsgroup.com/​ Our flagship seminar, "What To Do When You Outgrow Your Accounting Software" held in Denver. 866-499-8550

When there are so many excellent enterprise tools available to organizations, why do accounting teams continue to rely on Excel? We’ve observed that making the jump from copy/pasted spreadsheets to automated financial reporting often requires a better understanding of the software itself. In this edition of The ERP Advisor, we examine how to get what you really want out of your Enterprise Accounting Software, along with a look at optimum functionality and use cases for different configurations. www.erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550

Interview with Chris Carpenter www.erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-group Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/

Interview with Adam Clapp www.erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-group Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/

www.erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-group Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/

erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516293/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Medium: https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

erpadvisorsgroup.com // 866-499-8550 If there was a theme for 2019, it was the year cloud-based ERP finally arrived. No longer a novelty, cloud ERP is the new normal, the “big deal” — the baseline paradigm. But if 2019 was big, 2020 will be small … and medium. For our Annual Report on the State of ERP, we sat down with Shawn Windle to reflect on 2019, and discuss why 2020 is the year the SMBs invade ERP. Partial Transcript: (visit our website for a complete transcript) My name is Shawn Windle, and I’m with ERP Advisors Group. I’m the Managing Principal and the founder of the organization. And what I want to share today with you are some ERP trends from 2019. It’s been a really interesting year for ERP: I’ve seen a lot of changes over — probably the last 10 years or so, from a cloud-based perspective, but 2019 in particular. There are three things that happened that I’m really, really excited about, and I think probably make 2019 one of the best years for ERP that I’ve certainly experienced. The first thing is that companies and organizations of all kinds — nonprofits, government agencies, you name it — everybody’s looking at investing in software. We have a lot of people that are out in the market that are looking at their business processes, and the reports, and kind of all the information that they need, and they’re saying, “I’m going to the market and I’m going to find a solution for that.” Of all the years that I’ve worked in this industry — gosh, probably 25 — I have really been astonished at the size of organizations (from teeny tiny to super, super big, as well as just the different types of organizations that are out in the market) really looking to automate their processes with ERP. I think that’s super cool, because it does show that there’s a lot of interest, but there are also a lot of interesting solutions in the marketplace too, which leads to the second point that I have. We’re really seeing that there are a lot of different types of software in the market that are very specific to industry, not just, say, wholesale distribution — but also to contract equipment manufacturers for high tech electronics, very specific solutions. So it makes our job as selections consultants pretty interesting because we have to go out and really understand the solutions that are there and figure out what’s really best for our clients. Which is great, because there are a ton of great applications out there. I think with what we’ve seen with cloud — and I think the deployment cost of getting a new application into the market is a lot less than it’s ever been. For instance, when I think back to my days at J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft, the software application vendors had to build a huge framework, and then they’d build business processes on top of that, or business applications that then they’d go to market with. It’s not that way anymore. There are several organizations that build apps on top of Salesforce, on top of their platform, that almost overnight they can come in with an industry-specific solution for a micro-vertical. Not just a vertical, but a micro-vertical. And boom, there’s a great product that’s available. Of course, you’ve got to look at longevity, and you have to look at how many customers they have and how much R&D they have for the long term. But it’s exciting to us to see the types of solutions that are coming into the market. And then the third thing that is probably the most beneficial for our customers is that I feel like the implementation partners, the systems integrators, the value-added resellers … we’re really seeing a lot of companies come of age. And what I mean by that is the implementation partners know how to do what you would think they’re supposed to do. So, you know, truth be told, implementing ERP is really, really hard. This is not the kind of stuff that you want your kids to do when they grow up. Just kidding — it’s not that bad. But getting an implementation partner that understands your business, understands the product, understands the technology underneath the product, understands the configuration, the customization, the reports, the analytics packages, everything else that goes with this, is kind of challenging. It’s really challenging. But what we’re seeing from an ERP advisor’s perspective across the many, many selections and implementations that we did this year is that we really feel like our partners are strong. And as I said, they’ve really come of age. They’ve been through lots of different experiences with the different products that they represent, and they’re good. So as always, on all of our conferences, everything I talk about, the implementation partner — and our experience is usually more important than the software solution because the software solutions are more on a mature kind of path.

ERP systems fail when they get infected with bad data. Cleaning data by hand is thorough but time-consuming, while automated cleansing is cost-effective but open to errors - so what is the best way to approach a data migration project? There is a science to proper data hygiene, and Shawn Windle has the answers in this episode of The ERP Advisor. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516293/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Medium: https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Is blockchain just a buzzword? Or is it the future of enterprise software? Superficially synonymous with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, blockchain solutions have the potential to revolutionize the entire ERP landscape — and even build bridges between the walled gardens of warring platforms. In this edition of The ERP Advisor, find out why we think 2020 is the year blockchain ERP tools could make sense for small and midsize businesses. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516293/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1

In this special report, we focused on sifting through the realities of COVID-19 and its aftermath, with an in-depth look at finding the appropriate enterprise software path going forward. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516293/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Medium: https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Ignore, for a moment, the debate and discussion over restarting the economy. While we have already seen the impact of COVID-19, even more unprecedented supply chain disruption is on the horizon, and the time to plan for it is now — if not weeks ago. In this edition of The ERP Advisor, we discuss how to optimize ERP solutions to streamline workflows, predict inventory fluctuations, accelerate plans to bring e-commerce solutions online, and, hopefully, satisfy customer demands. erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516293/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroup/ Medium: https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup

Economic forecasts from esteemed organizations predict that the US construction industry will contract in 2021. So why are others expecting growth? In this episode of The ERP Advisor, we discuss how implementing the right software can help companies defy downward trends and grow while the competition shrinks. We also provide helpful insights from recent ERP projects with clients in the construction industry.

Interview with Shawn Windle www.erpadvisorsgroup.com 866-499-8550 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-group Twitter: https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgro1​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisors/