ERP Manager: Sustainable Process Optimization for Businesses.

What must our new ERP software be able to do in detail? When will the system go live? What preparations do we need to make internally for data migration? Is it even possible to map our processes 1:1? These questions in ERP selection and the later ERP implementation are diverse and go far beyond a purely IT project.

ERP managers who work for ERP vendors bring years of expertise in selecting, implementing, and optimizing ERP software. They not only support companies in the successful implementation of the software, but are also available to customers in the subsequent operational activities. This leads to a long-term collaboration from which both sides benefit greatly.

What tasks does an ERP Manager have?

Whoever, when hearing the term ERP Manager, only thinks of pure consulting in choosing the ERP system, is mistaken. Because ERP managers advise companies during ERP selection as well as during the later implementation and even beyond. The tasks in detail:

• Initial consultation: Enterprise Resource Planning is a complex topic that goes far beyond pure IT. Accordingly, the ERP manager usually starts with extensive consulting. In doing so, the experts deliberately address all current business processes and put them to the test. Are there untapped potentials? Do common mistakes occur? Where are the causes of inefficiencies? What is currently already going very well? On the basis of this initial consultation, companies can lay the groundwork for an efficient ERP implementation.
• Software selection: In principle, the managers do not directly help with the selection of the ERP vendor, because they work for that vendor. However, they provide assistance in choosing the desired features and fine-tuning that can be made in any ERP system.
• Implementation of the ERP-Software: ERP implementation is a large project for which there should be a clear timeline and cost plan. The ERP manager helps to meet these plan targets while at the same time preserving the quality standards—or, in the best case, exceeding them. Thus, the manager, together with the company's project team, defines an implementation plan with meaningful milestones.
• Optimization: At the latest, when the ERP system is live, ERP consultants withdraw from the process. However, the manager remains with the company as an advisor. He conducts, for example, in day-to-day operations actual-vs-target reconciliations or proactively makes suggestions for the strategic improvement of the system. Moreover, he is there for clients during upgrades, releases, or scaling.

In practice, regular ERP audits have proven particularly effective. In detail, the ERP manager goes into processes, data structures, data quality, and IT infrastructure here to adapt them consistently to the growth of the company. The current legal situation and the state of the art are also taken into account in the audits.

Moreover, going forward digital transformation will require an even more dynamic evolution of the processes, which also includes a stronger networking with partners. Thanks to his expertise, the ERP manager can provide qualitative advice on necessary adjustments to the ERP system, suitable features, and common interfaces to external systems. 

ERP Manager and ERP Consultant – where do the differences lie?

The terms “ERP Manager” and “ERP Consultant” are often used synonymously. In fact, the manager is also active in a consulting capacity and the consultant takes on some management tasks. But the differences are quickly evident:

• ERP Consultant: Basically ERP consultants do not work directly for ERP vendors, but for independent consulting firms. They support companies in particular in defining requirements for the ERP software and the subsequent selection of the right provider. Once this is completed, the consultant can continue to supervise the implementation, which in practice is rather atypical.
• ERP Manager: The manager, on the other hand, works for the ERP vendor. Nevertheless, he can already assist companies in the ERP selection, albeit only with regard to the requirements of the ERP software and the possible implementation variants. Moreover, the manager also stands by the company in the implementation process or proactively ensures a smooth flow. Once the implementation is completed, the manager remains the point of contact for the company, for example in case of problems or the need for optimizations.

Why is an ERP Manager helpful?

The ERP Manager should be seen from the company's perspective as a consultant, sparring partner and impulse giver. He has enormous experience in implementing ERP systems and knows at the same time how the company's requirements can be met with the vendor's ERP system. Not to be underestimated is also the prevention of operational blindness. A "we've always done it this way" is consistently questioned by the manager.

The manager is also helpful because, after the implementation, he remains available to the company. He now knows not only the market and its product, but also the client very well. If questions, problems, or requests for changes arise, the manager brings this expertise back into the company directly. 

From what point does the work of an ERP Manager begin? Is it a permanent or a fixed-term task?

The ERP Manager is indeed a "permanent solution," designed for the coming years. Project managers and managers get to know each other personally, build relationships and shared knowledge. This knowledge is also truly anchored in the company through close collaboration.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of ERP managers?

ERP managers bring years of practical experience and up-to-date market knowledge with them – both are rarely present in a company. After all, most companies use their enterprise software for between ten and twenty years. The knowledge of the ERP manager helps initially with the needs-based configuration of the ERP system. In addition, the implementation itself is also significantly more efficient and implemented with fewer mistakes.

Because the manager remains with the company after the go-live, the knowledge also remains – at least indirectly – within the company itself. Disadvantages arise only insofar as the manager is, in a sense, not advising independently. He will hardly make suggestions for alternative ERP providers, after all they compete with his employer. But if companies have already consciously chosen to cooperate with a provider anyway, that is not a problem either.

Conclusion: The ERP Manager embeds ERP knowledge within the company

Unlike an external ERP consultant, the ERP Manager works directly for an ERP provider. He advises and supports companies with his expertise both in selecting the ERP components as well as in their implementation, and far beyond that. The ERP Manager can regularly conduct audits, during which ERP processes are analyzed, optimized and updated if necessary. In this way, both sides benefit from the partnership for years after the actual implementation.