What to Do with Your ERP When Business Is Slow

We find ourselves in difficult times with COVID-19. Social distancing, virtual happy hours, and no more live sports is changing people’s day to day lives. Many businesses were and still are closed because they are not deemed a ‘necessity.’ For those companies that are still open, (and some who even have majority of their employees working from home) theses changes have lead to a struggle to maintain the same level of sales and work under these new circumstances. During these slow times, there are five things you can do with your ERP software to help stay busy while improving the company. Let’s look at these five items.

1. Run Updates

Having all your software updated will significantly help the speed of your ERP software. Running things like Windows updates and making sure you are on the latest version for your other software programs such as your CAD software will pay dividends with your ERP. Updating your software will also significantly improve both the quality of of the software but also the work that you are able to complete on a daily basis.

2. Install Upgrades

If you are not on the latest version of your current system, now is the time to do it. Take advantage of the excess time by maximizing the potential of your ERP software solution. You will likely need to work with your provider on this, but given they are a business as well, they are likely to be happy to be working with you.

3. Cleanse Your Data

Prior to the dramatic shift in how people all around the world work, it was much easier to put off things like cleansing your data. During this extra downtime, routine maintenance  is truly a must.  The first step witch cleansing your data:

• Deleting necessary data. Remove any outdated information you still have or whatever you simply will not use. This not only frees up space on your devices and software solutions, but it allows for a more organized workflow.
• Combine duplicate information. This may be the most time consuming and boring, but the cleaner you can make your data, the more efficient you will be when using it.
• Correct/complete data. Fixing any incorrect information, as well as completing incomplete data is also important. The more information you have, the better informed you will be to use it to make decisions.

4. Train/Cross-Train Users

Outside of the ERP system itself, it can be a good idea to further learn it. Training yourself and others on features that you have but may not be the most familiar with can help push the company to new heights when things pick up again. Also, cross training users to help keep things running smoothly should someone be out sick or leave the company is always a good idea.

5. Buy new modules/functions

Perhaps the most changing, buying new modules can be a great purchase in these times. Adding functionality to help the business seems like a no brainer. But the time it takes to implement, configure, and learn a new function is certainly significant, which makes now as good a time as any.