erp

customization

overview

Differentiating between yourself and the competitor is extremely crucial in today’s competitive atmosphere. Companies that still operate on age-old software solutions struggle to keep up with the modern customer and in turn, get lost in the huge market.

A modern ERP software (Enterprise Resource Planning) is the solution when it comes to catering to 21st-century customers. Today a company can choose from thousands of ERP solutions, but they do come up with various shortcomings. Whereas a solution like NetSuite is highly customizable to fit the business requirement needs of every company.

Implementing an ERP system is necessary, but it is often not possible to get the required solution right out of the box. Therefore, ERP customizations are necessary as they help you add functions that are totally unique to your work processes and business requirements

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    Some examples of ERP customizations to gain the competitive advantage:

    • Modifying existing ERP functionality
    • Addition of new features and options that are not included out of the box
    • System configuration to enable 3rd party application support
    • Adding multiple task management processes
    • Create custom fields, lists and forms

    However, there is a word of caution to be advised here. Inexperienced ERP providers can provide mismanaged and complex ERP customizations that may hinder the long-term functionality of the ERP system. This will make the ERP system incompatible and redundant as new software upgrades may not support those complex integrations and customizations. Due to this underlying fear, we see many companies trying to avoid ERP customizations.

    The solution to broken and

    mismanaged ERP customizations?

    the solution to broken and mismanaged erp customizations

    Partner with an experienced ERP implementation partner like ERP Buddies who have a strong understanding and experience in customizing an ERP system that meets the industry-specific business processes of the company.

    ERP Buddies has developed many ERP customizations that address the pain points of a particular industry.

    ERP Buddies has developed many unique custom-made ERP software option like SuiteSolar for the Solar industry, SuitePack solution for the Packaging companies and NetSuite and EMR Integration for medical providers and health facilities etc. These custom business system solutions are designed to address industry challenges and ultimately push for innovation and operational growth which have been recognized widely within the NetSuite eco-sphere.

    To understand ERP Customizations and to avoid clutter, read more below.

    Understanding ERP customizations

    and ERP configuration

    In layman’s terms, an ERP customization means building a functionality that currently does not exist in the ERP system. These ERP customizations require a great deal of product knowledge and are often carried out by your ERP partner. If your partner did not include any customizations, creating them on your own would simply be impossible as it requires a thorough understanding of the software and custom coding skills.

    ERP customizations require

    • Deep knowledge of ERP along with practical implementation and customization experience.
    • Creating unique industry-specific solutions for a better user experience
    • Addition of new features to support new functionalities and requirements.

    ERP Configuration

    An ERP configuration essentially means setting up the working of the ERP system. The ERP configuration deals with system components as opposed to making customizations to the business process within the ERP system. Configuring an ERP system allows the system to run smoothly in the given environment which includes making changes to languages, time zones, currencies and more.

    ERP Configuration require

    • Deep knowledge of ERP along with practical implementation and customization experience.
    • Configurations must be carried out within an identical account of the same ERP
    • Setup existing features in the ERP system to provide full functionality.

    Now that we know what’s the difference between an ERP customization and ERP configuration, let’s go into a bit more detail!

    ERP level of customization can be limitless however it won’t ever be like an ERP configuration. The difference is subtle but noteworthy!

    As explained above, ERP configurations are small changes that are made into the out of box functionality of the ERP system. Things like custom fields, forms, languages, time zones, usage of currencies, units of measure etc. make up the majority of an ERP configuration.

    These changes are discussed and finalized prior to an ERP implementation by the software development team and don’t need any complex changes to be made within the ERP systems functionality which tends to happen in an environment where ERP customization is necessary.

    As every coin has 2 sides, now let’s talk about ERP Customizations.

    When it comes to ERP customization, users have a lot more freedom. ERP customizations require complex coding and intensive man-hours to be spent on rigorous system testing. If done right, ERP customization can do wonders for your company (Enterprise Resource Planning)

    Some types of ERP customizations include:

    • Creating cosmetic changes and design modifications based on brand colours, user preference etc.
    • Creating custom layouts, formats, invoices, special delivery notes, documents, and forms
    • Third-party application additional integration requirements to support functionalities like Salesforce + NetSuite integration
    • Source code customization to add extra features and to improve existing work processes.

    A word of caution: Customizations require a great of effort and attention to detail. If your ERP partner is inexperienced, there is a high chance that your customizations may create more complexities than ease of use. Therefore, it is always recommended to partner with an ERP provider like ERP Buddies who have intensive experience in conducting many NetSuite customizations.

    review and approve

    Review & Approve

    Accountants now generate clear and actual revenue plans for recognition as NetSuite creates multiple levels of approval processes. These approval processes ensure that the Managers get a chance to review information before it gets submitted/finalized, helping the company to increase their efficiency and internal visibility.
    forecasting

    Forecasting

    ARM allows accountants to analyze and forecast revenue impact that the company may see in the future. This helps the company to understand the actual revenue and its losses. This may also help in creating special strategies to plan out for more revenue or to mitigate risks. As NetSuite stores historical data, users can also quickly dig down original sales documents/transactions for better clarity and resolution.
    integrate w oracle, SAP or NS finicials

    Integrate with Oracle, SAP or NetSuite Financials

    NetSuite Advanced Revenue Management can be integrable with your existing ERP system like SAP, Oracle financials and any 3rd party ERP system. Users can quickly import orders and invoice data to calculate and recognize revenue with ease. Thanks to this integration, Accountants can then export journal findings directly into the company’s general ledger (GL).

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    Managing ERP software customizations

    for prolonged success and high ROI

    An ERP software (Enterprise Resource Planning) essential for the success of a growing business. To maintain the higher ROI, customers must identify customizations that are necessary and bring value to the table. During this time, businesses must keep their long-term goals in mind or else they run into the risk of broken customization.

    When evaluating the long-term success of ERP customization, make sure to ask these questions to your ERP Partner.

    1. What business challenges/issues are going to be resolved with this customization?
    2. What’s the calculated value of the customization and how was this value calculated?
    3. What are some scenarios that can be implemented to avoid this customization?
    4. Can this customization be carried out without making changes to the source code?
    5. What resources will be needed to keep the customization going on?

    Special Implementation of ERP software customizations is a tedious task and if your company lacks the needed resources or the level of effort, customizations are something you must truly avoid. ERP customizations need constant surveillance and documentation to ensure their smooth performance.

    Partnering with the wrong ERP software provider is the first step towards broken customizations and wasted resources. ERP Buddies provides robust customization and product development plan that always keeps your company in touch.

    So always make sure to do your research and select an ERP software Customization partner with deep product knowledge.

    Eliminate redundant ERP software customizations

    for utmost advantage

    Change is fundamental in the business world. If an ERP software customization happened 5 years ago and is still being used in the same way, there’s a high chance that the system is running a few redundant customization settings that were created to address the 5-year-old issues.

    In simple words, if customization is no longer necessary it is best to eliminate it as it may be slowing down the ERP software. Every redundant and unnecessary line of code puts heavy stress on the performance of your ERP software. Therefore, it is always advised to eliminate redundant customizations before making any additional ones within your Enterprise.

    Once the unnecessary customizations are found, users can eliminate them in 3 ways from their ERP software.

    1. Eliminating the customization entirely: As a side note, only eliminate customizations that you are sure would not affect the functionality of your entire ERP system in any way.
    2. Hide or disable the customization from your system and keep the underlying custom code as a whole as possible.
    3. Skipping system upgrades to ensure the system runs smoothly or rebuilding the entire customization into the new update/upgrade (possibly the last resort).

    Final concluding steps into

    simplifying ERP customizations

    ERP customizations can be a cakewalk if done by the right and experienced ERP partners like ERP Buddies. Our expert in-house team of consultants possesses many years of experience in creating complex customizations within the ERP system.

    If this seems too challenging or seems above your expertise, you can always schedule a call with our team members who will gladly run you through all the findings in-depth. In the meantime, you can do the following.

    1. Jot down your required ERP functionality and compatibility issues.
    2. Contact your ERP vendor and have them investigate the system for faulty and broken customizations
    3. Give us a call to fix your ERP customizations for the long term.

    Why choose ERP Buddies for your ERP Customization?

    Come say "Hi"

      ERP Buddies is a North American Official Oracle NetSuite Solution Providers with diverse experience in implementing NetSuite ARM solution for a broad array of verticals

      With offices in the U.S, Canada, Europe and Asia, our experts are accessible globally and make it their priority to create a smooth and positive experience for clients. Our experts assist clients throughout the entire implementation process, with on-site support and consultation, along with additional assistance in customizing your system to guarantee it meets your business needs.

      Come say "Hi"

        ERP Buddies is a North American Official Oracle NetSuite Solution Providers with diverse experience in implementing NetSuite ARM solution for a broad array of verticals

        With offices in the U.S, Canada, Europe and Asia, our experts are accessible globally and make it their priority to create a smooth and positive experience for clients. Our experts assist clients throughout the entire implementation process, with on-site support and consultation, along with additional assistance in customizing your system to guarantee it meets your business needs.

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