What do you do if your ERP system customization lacks creativity?

No se suele implementar un sistema ERP sólo por comodidad, sino por necesidad. Al implementar un ERP debe haber un cambio respecto al proceso anterior a la implementación, no buscar replicar el mismo proceso en el sistema ERP nuevo. Al tener esto último en cuenta, la percepción de los usuarios se abre para poder contemplar nuevos procesos o funcionalidades en el nuevo ERP. Es necesario tener en cuenta que no podemos destinar todo el esfuerzo y dinero involucrados en la implementación del nuevo ERP a seguir trabajando "igual que antes".

If your ERP system customization lacks creativity, first assess its current state and gather feedback from users. Research industry best practices and collaborate with experts to brainstorm creative solutions. Explore additional customization options and provide training for users. Implement a process for continuous improvement to enhance creativity and functionality over time.

If your ERP customization feels dull, get feedback from users, brainstorm new ideas together, and maybe bring in experts for fresh perspectives. Keep it creative, listen to users, and always be open to improvement.

The big challenge with ERP systems is knowing whether they are easy to configure/customise or they are not. Ones that are then "creativity" is not an issue as the organisation will already be in the habit of configuring changes. The ones that are difficult or impossible to customise makes change difficult. But not impossible. Many have interfaces, that may include published apis that can be used to build extensible solutions with next generation composable technologies. When you get to the change where nothing is possible then it might be time to reconsider your choice of ERP.

If your ERP system customization lacks creativity, it may be time to consider a fresh perspective. Collaborating with experienced consultants or exploring innovative solutions could breathe new life into your system. Don't hesitate to reach out to experts in the field for guidance and inspiration.

Assess and evaluate the needs for customization, segregate business processes which can be standardized based on the ERP product offerings and the ones which are differentiators for your business. Initiate a fit to standard transformation approach within the organization with a strong change management and leadership support, for the differentiating processes evaluate add-on solutions that natively integrates with the ERP Solution. Perform a detailed build vs buy analysis and involve a specialist partner who can assist in providing solutions with creativity and understands the core of your ERP solution. If your organization is of considerable size engage with the product vendor in co-innovation and industry solutions to avoid the build.

SIMPLE. Before any change make sure you need it. Assess current state and ensure current metrics and then compare results... focus not only in numbers but in processes ad people welfare and productivity. Are you getting better numbers and better working environment? There you are!

Considere las necesidades y los deseos de los usuarios finales en cada paso del proceso de personalización para garantizar que las soluciones sean intuitivas y satisfactorias.

Integre características que permitan adaptarse a los cambios en el negocio y las preferencias de los usuarios. La flexibilidad en la personalización puede ayudar a mantener el sistema relevante y efectivo a lo largo del tiempo.

Continuous Improvement: Treat ERP customization as an ongoing process rather than a one-time project. Continuously review and refine the customization to ensure it remains aligned with the evolving needs of your organization.

Esto implica recopilar comentarios de los usuarios, realizar pruebas de usabilidad y actualizar regularmente el sistema para abordar cualquier problema identificado.

Establezca métricas claras para evaluar el éxito de la personalización del ERP. Estas métricas pueden incluir la eficiencia operativa, la satisfacción del usuario y el impacto en los resultados comerciales.

Extend your ERP core with cloud native technology using open connectors. With SAP S/4HANA this is very easily possible, So if your ERP does not allow clear core extensions, then its time to move to a new cloud ERP. Because very ERP will have limitation and you should have options to extend the core with a clean technology option

Recognise that your ERP system doesn't need to be creative per se: it needs to standardize where appropriate and differentiate when there's the opportunity to exploit. Creativity can arise in how you define the boundaries of what is your ERP system.

Recall concepts like "Gartner's Pace-Layered Application Strategy"... Of course, with the rise of AI/GenAI-powered conversational interfaces where intercation flow need to sequential/porcedural, applications in the 'stack' sometimes have to behave a bit differently - ERP systems are not fully immune to this rising issue...

If your ERP system customization lacks creativity, start by identifying specific issues and gathering feedback from users. Brainstorm creative solutions with your team, review best practices, and collaborate with experts if needed. Implement iterative improvements, continuously testing with users, and monitoring performance. Recognize that enhancing creativity is an ongoing process, requiring openness to feedback and a commitment to continuous improvement.

However it is important to evaluate what needs to be extended and where creativity is required. Please note that at the end of the day SAP still remains a packaged software with standard code base available in terms of classes and methods and enhancements spots at the core . APIs used to integrate will always be the best approach.Over the years SAP has evolved by applying layers of encapsulations not abandoning the traditional core base. Abandoning them and the maverick idea of building everything from scratch will impact scalability and cohesiveness. The idea of not referring to standard codes while building custom applications, with a view that these will be impacted by upgrades may prove costly at the long run in terms of TCO