How technology can bridge the gap between vision and execution

When it comes to planning for growth, manufacturing companies need to think long and hard about where they want to go and how they’re going to get there.

The leadership team sets the vision, and identifies the long-, medium-, and short-term goals for the company. They define the “what” and the “why.”

But the “how” and “when” is where the rubber really meets the road.

The execution of the vision typically falls to individual departments and team members, and it invariably involves a lot of moving parts — a combination of the right roles and talent, solid business processes, and the right technology to tie them all together.

In today’s post, I want to explore how selecting the right ERP solution can bridge that gap between vision and execution, and act as a catalyst for business transformation.

Sticking With Old Systems Can Leave You Stuck in Place

At Syte, we’ve spent decades working with privately held and family-owned manufacturing companies, and we’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be to try to grow the business with older or outdated ERP solutions that can’t keep up.

More often than not, these clients have gotten many, many years out of their legacy ERP systems — which is always a great thing to see. Their business operations have settled into a predictable rhythm, their employees are familiar with existing systems and processes, and one way or another, they’ve ironed out most of the “kinks” over time.

But eventually, they have to face the reality that these systems require an upgrade, or a wholesale re-implementation, or an entirely new ERP solution altogether.

Sticking with older systems isn’t only a technology problem, where older software requires more time and money to maintain or constrains what other pieces you can bring into your technology stack. There’s a more insidious effect at play here too, where older systems end up dictating operational processes and workflows that might no longer serve the business.

This ties back to innovation. When you’re tied to an older ERP system — one that reflects the state of your business from an earlier period, for example — your employees have to keep doing things the same way too.

The opportunities and incentives to innovate for scale and growth are limited if the underlying technology isn’t designed for agility or flexibility.

That’s a real opportunity cost that only grows over time.

New Technologies Bring New Opportunities

It’s easy to think of an ERP solution as a line item (admittedly, a big one!) on your operational budget. But I’d like to invite you to think of it as something bigger — a catalyst for growth.

Your ERP solution is more than just another piece of technology to help you run your business operations. It’s foundational to your vision of the future. 

What we’ve seen time and time again in working with our clients to identify and implement new ERP solutions is that it leads to a much larger conversation about what the business truly needs in order to grow. And it’s never only about technology.

When you start thinking about what you need in a new ERP solution, you have to look at what you’re doing now, and whether that serves your larger goals and vision. So it doesn’t only come down to software: it includes business processes, current roles and skill sets, and what ties those pieces together.

I can’t emphasize enough what a huge opportunity this is. It’s a chance to step back and see how your current execution lines up with your larger vision. And if it doesn’t line up, you can start identifying what to keep and what to change. You can be intentional about selecting a solution that supports your team in how they execute on the company’s strategy and vision, and allows them to innovate in areas where they have expertise.

And the right ERP system can support your employees in other ways as well, from smoother onboarding, to more productivity and greater autonomy. That creates a stickier work experience and leads to higher employee satisfaction and retention.

The Road to Success Is Paved With Planning and Preparation

With all that said, we understand more than most that an ERP project can feel like a daunting endeavor. Any kind of business transformation initiative — and that’s really what this is (or can be, if done right) — is going to include some level of disruption. But it doesn’t have to be chaotic, if you take a strategic and measured approach.

The right people, planning, and preparation make all the difference, and help to build control and predictability into the entire effort.

At Syte, we use a Business Transformation Framework to help our clients start down this path. I really like it because it starts with a “readiness assessment,” where we ask manufacturing leaders to make an honest evaluation of their capacity to take on a business transformation initiative. This piece is key because unless you have the operational capacity to carry out and absorb change, there’s no technology solution in the world that will magically take your business to a new level of growth.

If you know you’re ready for organizational change, you then begin a more tactical evaluation of everything you have in place: your existing business processes, your human resources, and your technology. That’s where you can start to identify gaps and see areas where you can truly innovate.

With this front-end analysis and planning in place, you’re in a much better position to choose the ERP solution that’s going to support execution of your strategy and power the growth you envision for your company. More importantly, you’ll be able to mitigate much of the risk that’s inherent in large-scale initiatives like this, because you have a solid grounding in where you are, and where you need to be.

Closing the Gap Between Vision and Execution

While investing in new technologies to grow your manufacturing business may seem like a leap of faith, holding off on upgrading or replacing an ERP system carries its own risks.

When it comes to turning a larger strategic vision into reality, you can’t get there from here without making changes to the way you’re doing things. And technology can be a true game-changer when it comes to achieving that vision.

Are you thinking about taking your business to the next level, but aren’t sure where to start? We’d love to help! You can schedule your complimentary consultation session right here.