ERP software is changing the way companies operate and do business. If you’re at all involved in the business world, you’ve probably at least heard of ERP. Essentially, ERP is software that integrates all your organization’s departments into one convenient place, allowing for more efficient, accurate and informed workflows. While you’ve possibly learned a bit about the benefits of implementing ERP software, you may still be wondering about the challenges of ERP adoption or even how you might be able to use such technology with a content based-business or blog?
As with any major change in protocol, switching over to an ERP will have its rough spots. Here are a few of the difficulties you might encounter when adopting an ERP system for your business.
Choosing the Right ERP for Your Business
Since so many businesses are demanding ERP software to help make them run better, there has been a proliferation of companies offering ERP services. Choosing the right ERP for your business will take your organization to new levels of productivity. However, there are several things you should consider before determining which service is the best fit.
- Your Company’s Size and Plans for Future Growth – There can be major differences between ERP platforms that cater to large, medium or small businesses. Make sure the service you choose is right for your organization and its future.
- The Content Marketing and Services Provided – Not all businesses and services are the same. With this in mind, depending on the type of services, marketing and business model you have in place, an ERP can be used in different ways. In reference to a blog-based business, ERP platforms can help with the connectivity of not only content creation, but also how to connect with other team members and make sure the promotion of your content is moving smoothly.
- Make Sure You Can Afford It – Some ERP software is significantly more expensive than other versions. While it’s likely that ERP will save your company money once it’s implemented, make sure there’s not a less expensive option that also offers similar features. Since most bloggers and content marketing services might be working with a lower budget, it’s important to consider all options before moving forward with a longterm contract.
- Determine What Features Are Necessary – Most organizations will benefit from a cloud ERP. What is cloud ERP, and what makes it different from on-premise ERP? Essentially, cloud ERP allows users to access the system from anywhere with an Internet connection, as all information and data is stored to the cloud. This can be beneficial to businesses that need to have remote or field workers.
Just like there are many different types of web hosting plans for a business, there are different ERP solutions for businesses of all sizes as well. Making sure you go with the right plan and provider on day one will help in avoiding any problems and frustrations down the road.
Team On-Boarding Must Be Done in Phases
Unless you’re beginning with an ERP on day one of running your content marketing or blogging business, ERP software can’t be introduced all at once. For a mature company that’s operating at or near full capacity, it’s not possible to entirely shut down for days or weeks at a time to implement a new ERP. In most cases, such a huge decision won’t be a problem for most blogs — as it’s usually just a focus of content creation, marketing and the business of advertising and monetizing such content.
Since ERP software is involved in pretty much every aspect of an organization, it’s simply not logistically possible to on-board everything and everyone in one massive migration. This could potentially lead to disaster if employees are at all hesitant about learning the new protocol. It also takes time to move all the data from old, scattered sources onto the new ERP. Any hiccups in this process could cause huge problems for the daily operations of a business. With communication softwares like Slack and Trello making the process of connecting team members together under one platform, integrating such methods during the ERP transition process can also be of great value.
This all leads back to the fact that adopting a new ERP—due to its complexity and intensity—isn’t something you’re going to do over a weekend. Depending on the size and scope of the business, moving to a new ERP can take years.
Preparing Your Blogging Team for ERP Adoption
It can’t be understated that getting your staff ready for this massive change will make the whole process go much smoother. It’s likely that there will be resistance to change from at least some of your employees. Make sure they understand the reasoning behind moving to an ERP, and then help them adapt to the new ways of operating.
Your staff and blog writing team will also likely change once your ERP is fully implemented. Not only will some jobs become obsolete (such as daily/weekly meetings, cross communications of content planning and marketing solutions) due to certain automated abilities of ERP software, you will likely also have to add some positions to keep the ERP functioning at all times. Make sure you figure out these necessary changes before the new system goes live.
There are many reasons for businesses to adopt ERP software—as it can help reduce costs and boost productivity over the long run. However, it’s important to know there will also be challenges to adopting ERP. Identifying these ahead of time will save your organization a significant amount of time and money.
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