People are creatures of habit. Once they have become accustomed to their software family, it is difficult to convince them to modernise or even change systems. However, if companies are using system solutions that are more like the first generation than the third, it's time to say goodbye. But how do you recognise which ERP systems whether you are looking at the "grandpa" or "teen" system? A typification of the three ERP generations:
The ERP grandpa: When is it time to retire?
The grandpa among the ERP systems has always managed to get by somehow. He had his ups and downs - but all in all it went well. He has a lot of experience, but he's starting to get a bit confused. And the world out there isn't getting any easier. The speed at which it is expected to react today is too much for it and it is often simply too slow. While the newer ERP systems already display an analysed data record in an interactive Dashboard he transfers the data from an Excel spreadsheet. Excelthat makes the others smile. You don't do it "like that" any more. But how else? After all, the data is not just for his system, but also for the others. And after all, he can't do everything on his own. Or can he? "We can do it," say the younger ones. And that's the moment when the ERP grandfather realises that it's time to retire.
The adult ERP systems: Watch out for burnout risk!
The ERP system is at the centre of life. It runs at full speed every day, juggling with data, recording receipts, spitting out invoices, evaluating, displaying and analysing. It has had a good education. Especially for the company where it now works. It does a good job, it thinks. Sometimes, however, they realise that they are not getting any younger. The many days at the desk make themselves felt. Here it pinches in the Data collectionIt hurts to pay the bills every few weeks - and the project management should have been brought up to scratch a long time ago. But when? We are hearing more and more about burn-out systems. The requirements were simply too high, errors crept in more and more often, they took longer and longer to complete tasks that should have been done in a much shorter time. At some point, these systems were simply replaced because the companies thought that they were no longer working optimally. However, it would have been enough to send the burn-out systems on holiday. A little wellness here, a little sprucing up there. Although this costs time and money, it is still less expensive and less work than setting up a new system.
The Teen system: always on the move, but not always reliable
Young and hip: the teenager of ERP systems. He has everything that you absolutely need now and that the old guys have no idea about. He's always talking about the "cloud" and "Mobility". It knows exactly what its future looks like. Sometimes it goes overboard and simply throws the risk factors to the wind. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it goes wrong. Browser-based, it is very flexible, but not always reliable. However, it learns from its crashes and knows better and better how much it can do and when. Because it is often on the move, the Teen system can be an advantage outside the company. Then it is at the customer's premises and sells itself: with all its data, which it always has with it. It will be exciting when the teen system grows up. What will the next generation have in store?
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