Duration of an ERP implementation will depend on many factors. Company size, coordination between management companies and complexity of operations are some of the main factors influencing the duration of ERP implementation process. In usual cases, an ERP implementation program may take from 6 months to 2 years to complete. Complexity of work is one of the main reasons responsible for such a long duration. An ERP implementation process will start with understanding the customer requirements. After understanding the specific needs of business, ERP consultant will map the customer requirements and work accordingly. Mapping work itself may take several days to complete. Actual duration vary according to the complexity of implementing ERP software.

After mapping the requirements of business, it is the role of an ERP consultant to do further job according to the needs. He should be capable to provide best solution as per the client requirements. Preparing the proof of concept is another main work done by an ERP consultant. For preparing this proof of work, it may take 15 days to 1 month duration. Implementation process of ERP software will start only after the approval of this proof of concept. Before implementing, documentation process is another important task done by ERP consultants. Documentation in ERP implementation is done according to the customer requirements and solution proposed.

Documents prepared as a part of ERP implementation process are reviewed by project heads and company owners. Changes in implementation process are done during GAP analysis. After GAP analysis, ERP consultants will do their further job by coordinating with ERP core team. Customization of modules is another procedure carried out in implementation process. Process of customization is usually done when the operations are too complex or difficult to perform. Coordination between team members is a main factor consuming time during an implementation process.

According to studies, it is found that each and every module of ERP system software is interrelated. Failure of any module will lead to the failure of whole process. This is one of the main answers for the question why do most ERP implements so long to complete. Hence you need to take great care while implementing ERP system software. Communication between vendor and customer plays a great role while implementing ERP software. Technical terms used in implementation field may cause difficulty in communication between vendor and customer. This can delay the progress of work to a limit. Creating user guide play a great role in implementing ERP project. This task is usually done by functional ERP consultant before signing off the project. It can also take some considerable amount of project time.

Read about ERP Implementation Best Practices. Also know Advantages of ERP.

In most cases, ERP system software may take years to complete their implementation process. Activities done during ERP implementation process may vary according to the company size and specified project of businesses. According to studies, it is found that the time required for the implementation of ERP system software increases with increase in complexity of project. Approximately, it may take six months to one year duration for implementing ERP system software in a company. Today, almost all sizes of company are introducing ERP for their business management.

Choosing ERP consultant plays a great role indetermining its timeframe. To reduce the time consumption during implementation, it is advised to employ ERP consultant with good knowledge. Business process of company is a main factor determining the timeframe of implementation process. Today, implementation of enterprise resource planning software is done with customization option to meet the demands of customers. How many of you know coding work of ERP system software? Generally, coding work of implementation is done by technical consultants. Anyway, this process may take some time to complete.

Documentation process is one of the main tasks performed by ERP consultants. It is the role of functional ERP consultants to go through paper works of each module. In case of large companies, ERP implementation may take so long to complete. In this case, company workers may employ a team of ERP consultants to do task. It can reduce the timeframe required for implementation. Hence there is no accurate timeframe for ERP implementation process. Completion of project without proper analysis can lead way to failure. This is one of the common problems reported by many company owners.

Typical implementation timeframe for ERP system is described on the basis of company size. Studies say that a small sized company may take nearly six months duration to complete ERP implementation. Whereas, a large sized company may take up to one and a half years duration to complete ERP implementation. Have you ever checked how efficient your team members are? Efficiency of team members is a vital factor influencing the timeframe of ERP implementation. To prevent this problem, it is recommended to employ professional functional and technical ERP consultants with good experience. Also, it is advised to have realistic expectations rather than an unrealistic one. This can reduce the delay in timeframe for ERP implementation.

Read about Implementation Timeframe for ERP System. Also know Cost of ERP Implementation.

Implementation of ERP software system is done according to the needs of company. Common industrial fields where ERP software is implemented include health care agency, retail sector and educational institutions. When researched, you can find that the formation of ERP system software is from manufacturing resource planning. Studies say that advanced studies have increased the demand of ERP software system in international market field. You can definitely find ERP consulting as the most demanded job in the coming days.

Today, almost all sized companies are employing ERP consultants in their businesses. Implementing ERP system software is found to be really worthy in business fields. If you wish to gain more profit from business strategies, never hesitate to implement this software in businesses. According to recent studies, it is found that the future status of ERP software system is on the top position. Also, more and more company owners are implementing this software to make their company top. If you are interested in ERP consulting job, never hesitate to choose it as your carrier field. In future days, this job position will be of high demand all over the world.

Choosing the best ERP consultant plays a great role in getting satisfactory result. Hence it is recommended to choose the best one according to the needs of company. He should be aware of latest implementation process and up to date information about the growing market field. When searched online, you can find that the new ERP system will have a non- centralized system instead of a centralized one. Implementing ERP according to the needs of company can drastically change the cost of maintenance. Company owners who wish to gain high return on investment value can definitely choose this business software tool for their profit.

Improved system providing improved forecast is a main future trend in ERP consulting. It can offer customized solution as per the needs of company. Studies say that implementation and maintenance cost of ERP system software in future days will be lesser than today’s cost. As the competition is increasing day by day, it is the role of ERP consultant to compete and win their target. You can define the future ERP system software as a compact solution which can be implemented within low cost and less time.

Read about Implementation Timeframe for ERP System. Also know Cost of ERP Implementation.

Knowing the latest in ERP software platform is very important to get satisfactory result. Oracle ERP platform is one of the widely used ERP software platforms in business fields. Today, you can find a wide range of formal training programs to make you aware of ERP applications. For satisfactory result, never hesitate to join in formal training program. If possible, it is recommended to go for advanced studies in ERP software application field. Doing advanced studies can only assist you in getting dream job. Apart from knowing various application fields, doing advanced studies will also give you an experience in consulting field.

At present, ERP consultant work is one of the highly competitive jobs in business field. Those who wish to go in depth on ERP topics are advised to learn from the basics of ERP. How many of you know Oracle basics like pl/sql and SQL? If you wish to become a consultant, it is very important to know these Oracle basics. You can also learn to implement applications using Oracle forms and Oracle reports. For better understanding, fundamentals of Oracle are divided into different modules. Accounts Payables, General Ledger and Purchase and Inventory are some of the important modules that an ERP consultant should know.

Getting proper training is very important to provide you good knowledge. If you wish to have a thorough study, never hesitate to order some CBTs from Oracle University. Apart from Oracle University, today you can find a fantastic range of ERP training programs online. Apart from studies, knowing the purpose is another main requirement to become a consultant. The main function of a consultant is to get involved in ERP implementation activities. Optimization of system is very important to promote business gain. An ERP consultant will do this function by fine tuning of business procedures.

Apart from good ERP knowledge and problem solving efficiency, good communication skill is another requirement to become an ERP consultant. A consultant should be able to convince and solve the queries of clients efficiently. To get priority in job, make sure that you have good experience in solving business problems and redesigning business procedures. Similar to Oracle training programs, studies in Microsoft and SAP are also found to be very beneficial in ERP business field. If you follow the above specified guidelines, you can definitely go for dream job as an ERP consultant.

Read about Institutions for ERP Courses Fees. Also know Web Based ERP System.

Before going to the difference between ERP and accounting software, it is important to know ERP functions first. At present, ERP system is one of the main business software tools for proper production, sales and planning. Role played by ERP in managing personnel and financial materials are remarkable. As per studies, it is found that ERP software can do more than that of accounting. In one sentence, you can define accounting as a sub division of ERP system. Main function of accounts is to deal with functions like budgets, payables and payroll. As a part of industrial development process, today most of the companies are choosing ERP instead of accounting software.

Within a few years duration, you can definitely see ERP system in place of all accounts software. This can certainly help company owners to gain profit at a faster rate. People who wish to allow seamless flow of information between various business fields can definitely make use of this management software. Unlike ERP software, use of accounts software will also focus more on budgets, resources and departments. Hence, company owners who wish to make profit from their businesses can certainly choose ERP instead of accounts software.

When you study in detail, you can find that accounting ERP will focus mainly on individual business functions. There are several advantages in using an ERP system. If you wish to control a variety of fields like human resources, finance, production and sales efficiently, ERP is an apt choice for you. It helps user to make good control over resources like men, material, money and machine.

Knowing the difference between ERP and accounting software is very important to make business changes according to the needs. Unlike accounting, ERP system can also do functions like product lifecycles, performance units and human work hours easily. Order tracking is one of the main functions of an ERP system. By making use of an ERP, user can easily track the order status of product without any difficulty. In usual causes, software of accounting is designed to meet the requirements of specific needs. During early years, role played by accounting software in fields like banking, medical transcription and retail are higher. You can really make out the difference of ERP and accounting by knowing its variety and fantastic performance in businesses.

Read about Customization of ERP Software. Also know ERP Software Benefits.

On the other hand CRM is software application which focuses on increasing sales by better customer management. The tools in this application are developed for keeping track of possible customers, existing customers, reorder, order status, customer complaints and queries etc, in short it is a single system which combines sales, marketing, contact management and customer support. The basic difference between ERP and CRM is that CRM gives insight to the sales people for generating more business while ERP gives insight to executives and management to increase productivity.

These two applications appear similar because they serve similar purpose, increase profits of the company. But the big difference between ERP and CRM lies in their approach to serve their purposes. CRM increases sales, it helps in analyzing and identifying more opportunities for increasing sales and developing new buyers and market. More sales directly increase profits of the company. ERP on other hand also increase profits but by reducing cost of production, if cost of production gets reduced by 5% through efficient working, better utilization of human and other resources of the company it reflects as rise in profits by 5%. So the basic difference between ERP and CRM is that ERP helps in managing employees and increasing productivity while CRM helps in managing customers and increasing sales.

Difference between ERP and CRM is clearly evident with the fact that CRM can function in far better way with ERP. This happens because company using ERP has all the information available in single database about entire organization and access can be granted to authorized users of CRM to see this information. Availability of crucial information related to customer like his credit limit, payment performance, availability of stock, exact delivery date etc can make CRM even more effective in generating business from the market. Information available with CRM related to customers and also their suggestions and feedback can be supplied to the management for taking decisions.

The data supplied by CRM can be of immense help to the management for upgrading their product or services as ERP allows changes intended by the management to be incorporated quickly through entire organization. So, both of these applications working in tandem can be very fruitful for increasing profits and growing business of any organization. CRM and ERP do overlap these days as certain modern ERPs have modules which deal with external entities like suppliers and banks but still these applications have well cut out task and purpose.

Read about Difference Between ERP And CRM. Also know about CRM For FMCG.

Before actual ERP implementation begins functional consultant or team of functional consultants need to study and analyze entire work flow and all the processes of the organization where ERP has to be implemented. Such organizations are mostly large organizations with many offices, work locations and huge staff, studying the entire working of such organizations requires time and effort. Also functional consultants discuss the present style of working with staff that is already stuffed with their daily tasks, this slows down the speed of gathering information and consumes lot of time. Once information gathering is over then functional consultants start analyzing the system and when there analysis is over actual implementation begins. Slowness in execution of the steps in which local staff needs to get involved is one of the major reasons why most ERP implementations take so long to complete.

Functional consultants Map the requirements, problem areas, inefficient processes and suggest new processes, automation of certain processes and other changes to improve functioning and increase profit margins. Management of the organization buying ERP has to accept or reject these changes. Since purchasing and implementing ERP involves lot of money and effort hence management takes lot of precautions before reaching a decision, also giving up old processes and making big changes in the working appears scary to the management. Most of the times delay in receiving green signal from the management delays the implementation process, this is another reason why most ERP implementation takes so long to complete.

Technical problem is another reason why most ERP implementation takes so long to complete. Mostly organizations have small software which their staff uses for their daily tasks like small accounting software or inventory/warehouse management software etc. These software contain crucial data in their database which cannot be ignored, in most of the cases linking the database of these software with large database of ERP or establishing links for reporting tools of ERP so that entries made through these software can be reflected in the reports becomes nightmare for technical consultants. Overcoming these problems can take more time than expected and is one of the important reasons why most ERP implementations take so long to complete.

Apart from these, ERP implementation can face delays due to innumerable reasons, largely the volume and size of organizations and also of ERP application is the main reason why most ERP implementation take so long to complete.

Read about ERP Implementation Cost Timeframe. Also know Causes of ERP Failure.

One of the main features of the best type of ERP software is to provide simplified methodologies for generating RFP. The buyer can check the documents if module enquires about the vendors, its services, customer base and stability. Pricing structure is one of the most important parts of RFP and also legal obligations shall be handled properly. Overall the software should aim and capable of increasing sales, reducing cost of production, increase market share and should be scalable to adept to the changing needs in the future.

The best type of ERP manufacturing software should provide the company integrated inventory control, flawless resource planning, proper raw material acquisition and shop floor control. It should also be able to keep history and track of products after sales, manage purchase orders, production scheduling and eliminate double entries.

The best type of ERP manufacturing software should also possess capability to reduce manufacturing costs and improve quality of products, it should be able to increase production cycles by reducing lead time and making process speedier and should reduce wastage and total work cycle time. Large manufacturing units may have marketing offices at different locations, these locations can be within the country or may be beyond. The software should be able to provide control over these units irrespective of their geographical locations. Similarly even manufacturing units of any large organization can be at distant locations, management of these units shall be easier, efficient and transparent through ERP software for manufacturing units. Overall the best type of ERP manufacturing software shall have scope for globalization of business.

Better market visibility and accurate predictions about changes in the supply and demand is another feature which shall be available in the best type of ERP manufacturing software. Integration of ERP with other software developed in different technologies is also an important aspect of the manufacturing software, in absence of smooth integration the efficiency of the enterprise resource planning software is bound to get reduced in future.

Sound reporting system helps the management in taking timely and correct decisions which is a necessary feature of quality ERP manufacturing software. It should also help in making communication with vendors, partners, suppliers and also with customers smooth and prompt. Better communication develops customer satisfaction, improves quality of product, increases company’s credibility and also increases overall business and profit margins.

Read about ERP for Manufacturing Company. Also know ERP for Lean Manufacturing.

ERP implementation in large organizations having many offices and work locations at distant geographical locations takes lot of time compared to organization of similar size but confined to a particular region. The reason behind this is that it slows down the process of information gathering and increases volume of customization by many times. Such organizations have different processes and working pattern at different locations, all of these have to be integrated through single software ensuring smooth flow of information and also without disrupting the work flow, this makes task tedious and complex. Such situations make it very difficult to calculate typical implementation timeframe for ERP software.

Role of staff of the organization where ERP is getting implemented is very crucial and highly unpredictable and it can make any general formula providing typical implementation timeframe for ERP software unreal. When ERP is in the process of implementation the new system can create distrust amongst the staff and also insecurity, which most of the times leads to lack of cooperation. When consultants do not get proper response and information from the existing staff the entire implementation process slows down increasing its duration. In some cases lack of computer literate staff delays the implementation as they take lot of time to understand and use the new system.

Under prepared management is another factor which makes almost impossible to work out any typical implementation timeframe for ERP softwares. Purchasing and implementing ERP involves lot of money and also sometimes high risks. In such cases management takes too many precautions and lot of time before making any decision. Delays in decisions slow down implementation as ERP providing company cannot move ahead without receiving an approval from the management. Most of the time suggestions made by the consultants to replace old processes with new ones for better performance and some major changes in working style cause lot of confusion in the minds of people responsible for making decisions on behalf of ERP purchasing company. This happens when management has not done enough research and analysis before going for ERP implementation.

There can be various other issues like technical problems etc which have also been found responsible for delaying the process of implementation in many cases, chances of any of these problem creeping up makes time and cost calculation beforehand for ERP implementation extremely difficult.

Read about ERP Implementation Cost Timeframe. Also know Causes of ERP Failure.