ERP Practicality Calculator

INTRODUCTION
The ERP practicality calculator ¹ below helps companies and individuals determine if they need a new ERP system and if so, to what extent exactly it is true (e.g. can it be put off, is the time about right for implementation, is it overdue, etc.). The benefit of this tool is that it is free and can be used without any external assistance. The latter factor minimizes external bias at the initial stages of any ERP journey. Moreover, the ERP practicality calculator can be reused multiple times to model different business scenarios. This tool can also be used by different team members to help validated the results.

To learn more about D365BC, including its financial reporting, budgeting and inventory capabilities, the industries and sectors it serves, its license types and their prices; to familiarize with the implementation process and estimate implementation cost, visit the corresponding page or hire a consultant.

HOW TO USE THE ERP PRACTICALITY CALCULATOR
Provide your answer in the “SCORE” field. Your answer can be any number from 0 to 4. The more the statement corresponds to your business situation, the greater is the number:

Strongly disagree
Disagree
Somewhat agree
Agree
Strongly agree

The ERP practicality calculator is divided into 3 sections for convenience: “SOURCE” (the questions about your current ERP system, if any), “ACCOMPANIMENT” (miscellaneous related questions), “TARGET” (the questions about your prospective ERP system). Once you have completed filling out the scores for each question, the ERP practicality calculator is going to show the total score. The total score is going to fall under one of the point buckets below the calculator. Generally, the greater is the score, the more beneficial implementation of a new ERP system is likely to be. If you require assistance with the ERP practicality calculator, contact us.

#	QUESTIONS	SCORE
SOURCE:
1.	Our source ERP system is no longer supported or is about to come out of mainstream support.
2.	Our business has grown substantially and we have grown out of our source ERP system.
3.	Our source ERP system lacks some key features that other ERP systems have.
4.	Our current reporting capabilities are limited. It is a challenge to extract even the data that is in the system.
5.	Our source document (e.g. sales invoice, customer statement, PO, etc.) design is outdated.
6.	Our source system lacks advanced inventory capabilities.
7.	Our manufacturing activities, such as planning (MRP, MPS), BOMs, routings, etc. are currently maintained in a separate program.
8.	Our source AP and expense management process lacks automation.
9.	Our source ERP system does not fully integrate with Power BI and Power Apps.
10.	Our staff has insufficient training and educational resources on our source ERP system to take full advantage of it.
ACCOMPANIMENT:
11.	We have acquired a company and they have a different ERP system. We would like to consolidate all business units within the same ERP system.
12.	We are using other Microsoft products, such as Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.
13.	Our employee has recommended Microsoft ERP, such as D365BC based on their experience.
14.	We are looking for a user-friendly system.
15.	We would appreciate free automatic fixes and new features.
TARGET:
16.	Our target ERP system should be able to take advantage of modern AI features.
17.	We need to be able to integrate our target ERP software with another system.
18.	We want to enter project-related and other time sheets in the target ERP system.
19.	Our target ERP system must be scalable.
20.	Our target ERP system implementation and licenses must be affordable.
21.	Our target ERP system must have flexible security (access level) setup for our different departments and team members.
22.	We would like our ERP software to be in the Cloud.
23.	We want to consolidate our financials and operations within the same ERP system.
24.	We are considering deploying hand-held barcode readers for our warehouses.
25.	We require our target ERP system to meet local requirements in our Canadian, US, European and other offices.
Total score:		0

RESULTS

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Based on the answers recorded in the ERP practicality calculator above, it appears that the present business situation is such that it may be beneficial to keep the existing ERP and other systems. At the same time the score that is above 0 suggests that there is some room for improvement, for instance, setting up additional ERP areas (modules), providing follow-up training to users, upgrading the existing system or integrating it with other systems. If you would like to discuss your business requirements with one of our certified Microsoft specialists, contact us.
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The results in 26 to 50 range suggest that while implementing a new ERP system is likely to benefit the business, the change may not be urgent. It is typically advantageous to start planning ERP implementation around this period as the impact on the business and users is usually minimal. Moreover, adequate time planned for ERP implementation may save money on avoiding risks to day-to-day operations, incomplete express analysis, etc. Generally, companies within this score range may benefit from starting their ERP implantation with an assessment project which, in turn, can lead to ERP implementation or may gather the necessary information to continue running the business as is (or even more efficiently) and plan ERP implementation based on the assessment project documentation, comprehensive analysis and presentations.
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Companies scoring above 51 on the ERP practicality calculator are likely to benefit from implementing a new ERP system, such as D365BC. Typical situations include migrating from an old ERP system (e.g. GP), helping users be efficient and effective rather than investing their time into manual data entry and extraction. At this point, company leaders may want to explore how they can save on their ERP implementation and which ERP product and implementation plan (package) is right for the business. To discuss business-specific or general ERP implementation questions, contact us.
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Scoring above 75% on the ERP practicality calculator suggests that companies are likely to benefit from hiring an ERP consultant. While ERP implementation at this point may be past due, it is necessary to approach the matter thoroughly. This includes conducting research on which ERP software is right for the business and planning the implementation process (e.g. to ensure the availability of resources). To discuss business objectives with one of our ERP consultants, contact us.
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Disclaimer
¹Edocation ERP practicality calculator is designed as a self-evaluation basic analysis tool for determining potential need for a new ERP system. Depending on the users’ experience, level of knowledge and other factors, the tool may produce inaccurate and partial results; therefore, in order to confirm the results, discuss specific business objectives and make an informed decision regarding a new ERP system, hire a consultant.