Replace
For more than 10 years, Totalamber has delivered strategic management, technical and functional services to organisations using ERP applications. Totalamber’s expertise and knowledge in this market is well respected throughout the industry, not only by users of ERP systems, but also by consultants engaged on ERP projects and also by vendors. Many of Totalamber’s consultants are ex-vendor and some vendors have engaged the services of Totalamber to deliver services into some of their projects.
Totalamber’s knowledge and expertise in the ERP market has resulted in Totalamber being engaged by ERP system users to assist them in their initiative to replace their current ERP application with one that is more suitable to their needs.
The decision to replace an ERP system is not undertaken lightly by an organisation as the ERP system is a crucial component in the business operations and activities of the organisation. Not only does an organisation need to identify and select the most suitable replacement, they need to instigate a programme of work to migrate data, process, services and people across to the new ERP system, maintaining business as usual during the transition.
The replacement of an ERP system can have a considerable impact on the capacity of internal resources – maintaining business as usual whilst being involved in the process to identify, select and implement the new system can take considerable time and effort from key user and business process owners.
Totalamber have been involved in the selection and replacement programmes for a number of organisations. When embarking on a replacement initiative, Totalamber works to a number of key guiding principles:
- Think about the future, not the past – Determine the best software option to cost effectively meet the new business model
- Impartial and Independent – Totalamber remains impartial and independent throughout the process
- Obtain Management Buy-In – Ensure management buy-in for the selected application, identify key staff and use tools and techniques to elicit their thoughts and views
- Social Proof – conduct qualitative and quantitative market research from the market and customers to provide an additional layer of assurance
- Clarity of recommendations – Provide very clear options, scenarios and robust recommendations and action plans
Totalamber’s Integrated Services Component model provides the tools, methodology and approach to enable an organisation to identify and select a replacement ERP system. The following approach is adopted when Totalamber is engaged on a Replacement assignment:
- Statement of Work – to clearly define the activities, timeline and outputs of the assignment
- Mobilisation – to identify, engage and empower the relevant stakeholders
- Needs Assessment – to define the business, people, process and functional requirements in line with the clients business objectives and enterprise strategy
Totalamber will identify a shortlist of recommended vendors and applications and then approach each of the vendors on the shortlist to share the client’s requirements.
To ensure a consistent approach to vendor responses and to also facilitate effective analysis of responses, Totalamber’s approach is to provide vendors with standard templates.
The first stage is for the vendor to complete a Request for Information (RFI).
Following receipt of the RFI’s from vendors, Totalamber will analyse responses and provide the client with a Findings and Recommendation report that summarises the findings, benchmarks potential suppliers against agreed metrics and identifies the most appropriate way forward for the client.
The next stage is to request detailed proposals from vendors. From these proposals, Totalamber will work with the client to select the most appropriate vendor and application.
The assignment then moves into a delivery, implementation and rollout phase. Totalamber is very often engaged by the client to assist in the implementation and rollout of the new ERP application - for more information, see the Rollout Services” section of the website.
