Why Flexible Post-Deployment Support Is Vital After a Cloud ERP Implementation

One thing that has been made clear in recent months is that adaptability is essential for success. Forward-thinking companies that made agility a central part of their technology, people, and processes were further along in their digital transformation journeys andwere able to pivot more quickly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and outmaneuver the competition.

The ability to adapt quickly to change has become important at all levels of the organization. Moreover, every aspect of the organization needs to become more agile, including the workforce, processes, and technology stack. The need for adaptability extends beyond the organization as well, with partnerships that can easily change to accommodate shifts in the marketplace.

As organizations re-evaluate their new long-term strategies and plan to push forward with their digital transformation projects, finding a partner that can not only help ensure the maximum ROI from a cloud ERP investment, but also do so in a way that easily adapts to the organization’s changing needs, becomes essential.

Adapting to a Changing World

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, some organizations that were in the early phases of a cloud ERP implementation put their projects on hold so that they could focus on responding to the crisis. While the current global landscape is still in flux as of the time of this writing, these organizations should be looking to not only restart those discussions around transformation but also prioritize them. Updating the technology infrastructure is the first step toward improving overall agility and central to strengthening business continuity. The digital transformation process extends well beyond the deployment of a new cloud-ERP, which is why getting support can be helpful.

Why Support Matters After a Cloud ERP Implementation

While sophisticated cloud ERP systems like Workday have a lot of powerful features built in, it can take time to customize these tools and build out all the functionality your organization needs. Building new reports and dashboards, automating certain business processes, and other organizational to-dos are generally tackled post go-live, with high-priority tasks performed first and other tasks performed later in order of importance. Even systems created before go-live can require months of fine-tuning to get them to generate the desired results. Major software updates to the cloud ERP can also require additional education, guidance, and support. On top of that, unforeseen issues can pop up after a cloud ERP implementation, requiring additional resources.

All these factors can put a strain on internal teams, and the amount of resources needed to address them can vary greatly. Having a partner to help your organization address these challenges smoothly is, therefore, extremely important. Post-deployment support enables organizations to get the most out of their cloud ERP investments and tailor their systems to meet their changing business needs, all while utilizing less time and resources.

An Agile Partner

When it comes to post-deployment support, it is important to have a partner that can help your organization adapt while, at the same time, adapting its own service offerings to best meet your changing needs.

Here are a few reasons why flexibility matters:

Cost-Efficiency - Flexible pricing models allow organizations to quickly scale up or down services to meet their needs.

Services Meet Your Organization’s Current Needs - Increased organizational agility is often a key driver for a digital transformation. But agility can only be achieved if your technology and people can keep up. This requires a partner that has the talent bench and expertise available to support your organization as needed.

Support for Both Proactive and Reactive Initiatives - Service can easily be ramped up to accommodate scheduled events like a major software update or unexpected crisis.

Peace of Mind in an Unsure World

An often-cited concern about digital transformation is that organizations don’t always meet their ROI goals and that even if the organization has gone live with a new cloud-based ERP, there is the possibility that it won’t be able to leverage it effectively. With the right post-deployment help, however, it is possible to minimize the risk.

Popular Resources about Cloud ERP Implementations

Your Guide to Conquering an ERP Implementation

How Five Organizations Took Their Technology Investments Further

Testing Your New Cloud-Based ERP System: Know Before You Go