🎉 Managing a small business is like raising a family…
Do you want to implement an ERP in your company? Take a deep breath. You've signed up for a challenging journey that resembles raising a family:
- It starts with enthusiasm (and a touch of naivety)
- It quickly turns into crisis management
- And if you did that right, everyone ends up having a hot meal and arriving on time at the arena
Welcome to the fabulous world of ERP project management, family-mom-and-dad-at-their-wits-end-but-still-organized version.
1. 🗂️ The analysis: “We are cleaning the garage AND the pantry”
Before you implement anything, you need to know what you're really managing.
It's a bit like discovering that there are 14 pairs of winter boots in the basement... and that they're all too small.
Your business is the same:
- Duplicate (or even triple) tools
- Processes "because we've always done it this way"
- And Excel files that we no longer dare to open
A good parent sorts things out. A good ERP manager does too.
2. 🍽️ Change management: "No dessert until the homework is done"
The children do not like the new rules. The employees don't either.
Changing the system is like introducing a new evening routine: there’s always someone who will oppose it. The secret?
Involve, explain, repeat.
And sometimes, threatening to cut off the Wi-Fi (or access to the old intranet hosted in a dark corner of the server).
3. 📅 Planning: "Camping or soccer this weekend? Yes."
Family life is a complex dance of schedules.
An ERP is the same. If you don't plan: hello chaos.
Phase 1: Inventory, Purchases
Phase 2: Projects, Sales.
Phase 3: Accounting.
Not everything at once. Even super-moms and super-dads know that multitasking ≠ productivity.
4. 💰 The budget: “Are we expecting any specials at Costco?”
A parent manages expenses like a ninja.
Do you want an ERP solution? You need to think:
- Implementation Costs
- Training
- Time Lost (at the Beginning)
-
Licences
And above all, the return on investment, because a good ERP saves time and energy in the long run.
5. 🤯 Mental load: “I thought about the oldest's exam, lactose-free milk, and the GST report...”
Managing an ERP project isn't just about "steps." It's a constant mental load.
Like a parent who thinks of everything at once:
- Who needs access?
- Who understands anything about the new interface?
- Does the inventory sync with the eCommerce? Spoiler : Not yet, but we are working on it.
6. 🧘 Patience: "It's not magic, but it eventually works."
A good parent knows that education takes time.
A good ERP as well.
There will be bugs, disputes, existential crises ("Why did we change the system?!?")...
But in the end, everyone eats better, sleeps better, and the SME runs like a good, well-loaded minivan.
💡 Management lesson: A good ERP is like effective parents
An ERP system that can do it all (except fold socks by themselves in the dryer).
✅ Real-time inventory
✅ Connected Sales
✅ Synchronized accounting
✅ Trained employees
✅ And you, a little less stressed
📞 Do you want to chat about ERP over a good coffee or a local IPA while the kids play soccer?
We're here. At ZEDM Solutions, we implement your ERP with as much rigor, patience, and strategy as an experienced parent.