Unlocking the Potential of NetSuite ERP: Recovery, Reimplementation, and Support

Unlocking the Potential of NetSuite ERP: Recovery, Reimplementation, and Support - No two implementations are alike and there are a lot of reasons why they succeed or fail. Perhaps you feel like your experience is falling into the latter. If you are, there are two different projects that can help close the gap for you, either recovery or ERP implementation.

A recovery effort is one where there are elements of the implementation that have gone wrong (e.g. we just can't seem to get our data right.) A reimplementation is the "nuclear" option, i.e. everything is wrong and it is best to start from scratch with a clean slate.

Neither effort is small, however, given your need to rely on your ERP implementation to successfully run your business, not making an investment could come at a continued cost.

What should you consider before moving forward?

1. Define your concern: If you're going to reach out for assistance, do you have a high-level understanding of what those issues might be (data quality, integration, training)? If you any of the initial documentation that was provided at the start of the project such as process flows or documentation, try to have this in a readily accessible file that can be shared with those that you intend to ask for help.

2. Select your Partner well: One individual will likely not have all of the expertise that you need to help. Some questions to consider are: Do they have individuals with both industry experience and technical skills? Are they able to complete all potential work themselves or will they outsource? Where are their resources located and what does that mean to your cost? Finally, ensure that you understand the normal operating hours of your Partner. 

3. Create your recovery plan: Be sure to share your pains with the Partner you selected. Be sure to outline the timeline you'd like to work with and call out what is a "nice to have" vs. a "need to have". Make sure that you have the buy-in from other stakeholders (internal and external) and be as accurate as you can be with your needs. 

At this point in the process, you should expect the Partner that you're working with to discuss how you'd like them to scope out your plan. Sometimes they want to have a standalone project to define the scope. Other times they might provide a quote for the recovery all at once. If it is an all-in proposal be cautious about its accuracy if the Partner has not had a chance to evaluate your environment themselves. 

4. Execute the project: Your Partner should start by focusing on topics that are inhibiting revenue. Be sure that prior to starting the project, you have a documented understanding of both budget and timeline. Do not assume that a conversation you had with your Partner means that the topic of the conversation is now included in the scope.

5. Training, Testing, and Change Management: For most of the "out of the box" training, the free resources that the publisher provides are normally pretty strong and should suffice for your needs. You should still have your Partner go through them with your trainers and record the conversation, but then thereafter your own team should be able to manage. For anything that is custom, test that you're receiving the results that you expected. If not, do not allow it to go into your production environment. 

Lastly, Change Management. If you're changing existing processes in a material way, YOU need to lead your team through that change. You have the most history with them and the authority to do so. You should not expect your Partner to do this. There may be some that have the ability to do so, but that is more of the exception rather than the rule.

6. Continuous Improvement: As you go through this process, there will additional "nice to have" items that will come up. Do your best to address to incorporate these into future phases. 

Scope creep is real. When "nice to have" topics come up, try to ask your team how often this issue occurs and what the cost impact is. If it's infrequent and low value, there may not be any ROI to spend time creating a process in your ERP implementation to manage it.

A NetSuite project requires a solid plan, a knowledgeable partner, and change management on your part. If you move forward with either a recovery or a reimplementation, be sure to consider all of the previously mentioned elements so that you're able to leverage NetSuite to grow your business.

If you want more information on NetSuite ERP recovery, reimplementation, or general support, please contact goVirtualOffice today.

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