The business has evolved. Has your solution?

Early on in my career, I visited a customer to review how they used their ERP solution. They said they had changed a lot as a business since they put the system in so they didn’t think they were making the best use of it.

The first hour on day one confirmed their suspicions. The first person I saw in the finance department hadn’t received any formal training. They had picked up knowledge as they went along and had received a list of tasks from the previous person in the role. These tasks needed to be completed each month but there was little to no information about them.

One of the biggest drains on time was a report that needed to be compiled manually each month. It was carefully woven together using a variety of other reports and then handed to someone on the other side of the office. 

I spent time with various members of the finance team and eventually made it to the recipient of the report. The was no mention of the report when we discussed their role so I asked what it was for. “I don’t know why I receive that.” was the answer. “I get it every month but I don’t need it so I put it in the bin!”

A periodic system review is a really valuable exercise. A business evolves over time. Even the best solution may no longer fit if the processes don’t evolve too.

…. and sometimes, you might find some really easy wins!