EPR
BITE-SIZED CHUNKS Lisa Bowden, head of business development for solutions at Retail Assist, thinks too many companies try to do too much at once. “The risk of undertaking multi-year project implementations are well reported,” she says, “expectations are high and retailers are
“ The risk of undertaking multi-year project implementations are well reported” — Lisa Bowden, Head of Business Development Solutions, Retail Assist
often left disappointed with the length
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of time it takes to, in some cases, sim-
ERP TO THE CLOUD
ply move from one system to another
It’s also important to embrace a
– delivering like for like, with little reduc-
cloud-based ERP, especially with the
tion of operating costs.”
prospect of hybrid working becoming
Describing this approach as “trying to fit a square ERP peg into a round market”, she says it’s better to deliver your implementation in bite-sized chunks. “Long project tails can lose sight of the original objectives and change management is used to ‘shoehorn in’ unnecessary modifications. As much as possible, stick to core software functionality and amend your business processes accordingly. Instead, engage in deep reflection on the core values of what makes a business successful and focus more on both the customer and product experience. This will differentiate businesses both now and in the not-too-distant future.” JANUARY 2021
a permanent feature of business life.