Increasing employee buy-in with ERP implementations

One of more significant bottlenecks in enterprise resource planning implementation is how the employees handle it. Solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2015 are so vast and far reaching in the number of business aspects that it touches, it is very easy to forget the number of employees it will affect in the long run. When the new implementation comes in, people are likely to resist the changes made. However, deploying change management, while extremely important, can be costly and time-consuming. Employee buy-in is still important to ensure a smooth transition, it's simply a matter of developing the right means to increase it. There are some distinct ways of doing so without taking too much risk.

Communication is everything One of the easiest ways of ensuring that employee buy-in for a new system is achieved is through simple communication. Companies should be able to explain, in simple terms, why the software is necessary, according to ERP Focus. That includes explaining what is wrong with the old system. But extending the communication lines should also mean receiving feedback from employees as well. They may have a better idea than management on what is working within the current legacy ERP system, and what problems exist. By opening the door to discussion, it gives employees more of an incentive to be involved in the implementation and thus have a bigger need to see its completion.

In addition, the communication should be tipped with progress reports during the course of the implementation. This includes clear and honest information that helps employees understand what is going on. If there is some unexpected bottleneck that has come up, such as during the installation of the warehouse management system, it is imperative for the company and ERP transition team to let people know this. Keeping employees in the dark is dangerous, for it can lead to resistance that will hobble the software when it goes live.

Keeping things simple and fun Another important aspect of increasing buy-in is selecting software that is easy to use, as ERP Software Blog recommends. While user interfaces have improved dramatically in recent years and will continue to do so, getting ERP software that works well with mobile devices and can make quick configuration adjustments should be a priority. That way, both the factory floor and the office manager are able to complete the work they need to do without going through tedious measures. By having a user-friendly solution like Dynamics NAV's new web-based interface, employees will feel more comfortable with the change.

Another way of increasing buy-in is to figure out some way to make the implementation process fun through some entertainment or games. For example, if management has the workers test out the software before it goes live, challenging them to break it, rewards could be given out to see how quickly or cleverly they do it.. This seems counterintuitive, but if a company rewards employees for doing ridiculous things to the software, those people will feel appreciated because the business will demonstrate that it wants its staff to do well.

Learn how to define your ERP strategy by downloading the white paper entitled "ERP in Manufacturing: Defining the ERP Strategy" from the DMS website today.

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