Are you tired of working a mundane job? Have you been looking for new challenges or a fresh career path and don’t know where to start? Society today is becoming more and more dependent on technology.
ERP solutions: optimize business processes
Companies are looking for new ways to incorporate this movement into their organizations, they want to optimize their business processes. Some owners may not know what is currently out there, what they even need, or where to begin. That is where ERP consultancy firms can help inspire, with alternative solutions that can address their business’ specific requirements.
How can one reduce human errors, scheduling conflicts, order management errors, pricing mistakes, and more? One way would be by implementing a single system that can centralize the company data. A system that automatically updates any related processes and records simultaneously as company data changes across multiple departments.
ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning, a commonly thrown-around acronym. It is a system where multiple departments can update, edit, coordinate, and share information in real-time with their inter-company or external counterparts. For example, take a shipping company that places orders daily and needs to monitor inventory regularly. Suppose the sales team has placed an order.
In that case, the sales representative would enter the order, triggering an update to inventory to remove the items required to fulfill the order. Account balances then update, and, if necessary, place a replenishment order if the stock is depleted, all automatically.
When you hear someone using the term ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Consultant, what is your first thought? Computer savvy? Coder? programmer? Do you assume this individual is stuck behind a screen all day, configuring ERP systems?
It is a common misconception that all ERP consultants studied computer science, computer-related fields, or have programming backgrounds. While this is one pathway, there are different elements of being an ERP software consultant that don’t require you to have that technology training foundation.
At least two aspects of being a consultant are usually identified once you have entered the industry. A good consultant will have both technical and functional, also known as business, knowledge and experience. What does that mean? Technical knowledge is exactly what it sounds like: the “tech” savvy. It emphasizes the individuals with the previously mentioned programming and computer skill sets.
Functional/business expertise comes from understanding gained from working in a particular vertical/industry and hands-on experience. Experience can stem from working in the industry or even consulting with it for some time. Often, functional expertise is what separates Big Bang’s consultants from our competition. Our team is trained for both to truly bring the most value to our customers by offering their honest, agnostic advice backed up by expertise.
At the same time, technical knowledge highlights one’s understanding of the task/process requirements ( e.g., AR clerk). The needs of collections remain the same; however, how the information is tracked and entered varies within any relatable ERP systems or alternatives.
Which ERP is in demand?
It depends, of course, but cloud-based ERP has many advantages. It’s more secure, because of the way it’s deployed, so you’ll gain real-time business insights and resolve urgent security issues quickly, using system-wide updates.
You also benefit from faster updates, fewer errors, glitches, or inconsistencies. Cloud-based ERP systems are accessible and controllable via a mobile device. So they can be accessed anywhere, anytime.
The most popular ERPs:
- Oracle NetSuite ERP
- Sage Intacct ERP
- FinancialForce ERP
- Oracle ERP Cloud
- SAP ERP
- Scoro
- Brahmin Solutions
- Odoo
- Syspro
- Epicor ERP
- Brightpearl
- Microsoft Business Central
- Ascent ERP
- Sage ERP
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
If you are looking to find which ERP is right for you, visit our ERP web page, or need help selecting an ERP for your organization, read more about BSA (Business Systems Analysis) offered by Big Bang’s Plan services.
When you are looking for consulting or related jobs, it is natural to gravitate towards opportunities that match your skill sets. Your unique expertise can add value to these recruiting organizations. If you bring a NEW functional expertise to an organization, you may be able to become the resident specialist in a vertical, thanks to your hands-on exposure.
Even if you feel there are technical job requirements that seem improbable to achieve or not applicable, which leads you to believe that you aren’t qualified but the technical expertise is easier to master than the functional – so push yourself and show the company you are driven to learn and invest the time to level-up your technical prowess.
DON’T BE SCARED. As a consultant, you will be introduced to potentially overwhelming situations where you DON’T know everything, and there will be challenges. Challenges can come from all sides of the table. It can be from the customer, your team, or even ownership, where your response will measure your success.
In these situations, all of the technical skills go out the window. The ability to communicate, research, and respond are soft skills that aren’t something you can pick up from a book and put into action overnight. On the other hand, technical skills might be easier to acquire.
Is ERP consulting a good career?
Working in ERP has its ups and downs. When you are part of an implementation, there can be long working hours, travel opportunities and sometimes unforeseen surprises. But there’s no greater joy than seeing the solution you’ve designed, and the advice you give, radically change the way the company operates and produces its goods, for the better.
Functional ERP consultants are always updating all of these business systems from their firsthand experience on the front lines. It is their feedback to these product owners that drive any improvements in their offerings.
There is no right or wrong way of doing things. You should only consider how your customer operates. It’s our responsibility as consultants, to understand, adapt, recommend, and deliver the customer’s requirements.
Are you interested in a career as an Enterprise Resource Planning Consultant? Check out our current internship & job openings at our office worldwide.
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