While ERP software might appear easy, the relational dependencies between business objects make it harder to learn and implement. Identifying these dependencies and structuring them to fine-tune the ERP solution for specific needs is an art.

In addition, ERP products follow a hierarchy of different data objects, such as pricing and discounting rules. While these hierarchies provide appropriate control and flexibility to the system, they require years of expertise before you can debug issues in an ERP system.

Unless you have years of experience with the new product, taking the DIY approach may be more expensive.

The Consequences Of DIY ERP Implementation

Before taking the adventurous path of DIY ERP Implementation, you may want to review the following consequences associated with this approach.

More Expensive.

Your users may be unable to perform the transactions due to the system’s misconfiguration. They may get unknown errors that require more consulting to debug and fix later.

An Inefficient Solution.

Since your team may not be familiar with the product’s best practices and design guidelines, your processes could be counterproductive.

Waste of your License Money.

You might end up wasting your money as you might be unable to go live on the product. The ERP consultant might charge more, as they may need more time to clean up the misconfiguration first.

Longer Implementation Time. 

The lack of training in your team may lead to them taking more time to implement the solution. Ignoring the opportunity costs, you will pay for the software license unnecessarily for the time you can’t go live.

System Adoption Issues. 

If your users can’t perform their duties smoothly on the ERP system, they might not use it at all. They might also avoid entering your crucial business data. Without this essential data, your planning may not be accurate, causing issues during your production runs and order fulfillment.

Conclusion

Implementing a fully integrated ERP system such as Acumatica or Infor CSI may appear easy. In reality, it requires you to thoroughly understand the data model and best practices.

The ERP system has more settings than a typical machine on your production floor or warehouse. As with your machines, you need to calibrate your ERP systems to get optimum results. Only certified technicians with implementation process experience can help you get the optimum results from your ERP purchase.