When selecting an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, businesses often get caught up in evaluating its features, integrations, and technical specifications. While these elements are important, they can lead you to overlook the most critical question: Can I imagine myself or my team using this process every single day?
No matter how impressive the ERP's capabilities seem on paper, they are irrelevant if the core processes it manages are too difficult to execute. Fancy features, detailed fields, and seamless integrations won't benefit your business if your team struggles with the system's complexity. If a process is too hard to navigate, it won’t be adopted effectively, and the system could end up sitting unused or underutilized.
Usability Over Features
An ERP system’s primary role is to simplify and streamline your business operations. This means that day-to-day tasks—like entering data, managing inventory, processing orders, or generating financial reports—should be intuitive and efficient. If an ERP overcomplicates these basic functions, it becomes more of a liability than an asset.
Many businesses invest heavily in ERP systems only to find that their employees resist using them due to the complexity involved. This is often because the decision-makers were dazzled by a system’s advanced features without considering the end users' experience. When employees find the system difficult to use, productivity drops, and the anticipated benefits of the ERP remain unrealized.
Can You See It in Action?
A critical part of your selection process should involve imagining yourself and your team using the ERP system in real-world scenarios. Can you see them comfortably managing the day-to-day processes required by the software? Are the workflows logical and straightforward? Consider having key team members test the system or go through demos to see how they interact with it. If the system makes simple tasks feel cumbersome or inefficient, that’s a red flag.
Don't be afraid to acknowledge if a process feels too hard. This isn’t a sign of weakness or lack of technical knowledge; it’s a sign that the ERP might not be the right fit for your business. An effective ERP should work for you, not the other way around.
Long-Term Impact of Complexity
The long-term impact of selecting an overly complex ERP can be profound. Low user adoption can lead to errors, delays, and frustration, which ultimately reduces the return on investment. Furthermore, training new employees or making changes to processes becomes more time-consuming and costly when the system is difficult to navigate. As a result, businesses may revert to manual processes or inefficient workarounds, which defeats the purpose of implementing an ERP in the first place.
An ERP system should evolve with your business and make your processes more efficient over time. If users constantly struggle with the system, they will be less likely to engage with new features or updates, meaning you’ll never fully realize the system’s potential.
Focus on Simplicity
The bottom line is this: simplicity should be at the forefront of your decision-making process. A well-designed ERP system will help streamline workflows and make everyday tasks manageable. If you or your team can't envision using the system comfortably day in and day out, it doesn’t matter how many advanced features it has—it’s simply not the right tool for your business.
Remember, the goal of implementing an ERP is to make your business more efficient, not more complicated. Don't be afraid to prioritize usability and simplicity over complex features. The right ERP should make life easier for your team, helping them to stay productive and focus on what truly matters—running your business effectively.