When it comes to manufacturing, it's always a team effort. Great manufacturing business software can help boost productivity and flexibility. However, in order to get the most out of your enterprise resource planning program, it's going to take a winning project team. You're going to need to assemble a strong group of thinkers, doers, movers and shakers that will help you fully harness the power of your new ERP platform. 

The individuals you choose will go a long way toward the overall success of your manufacturing ERP software. So, what kind of people do you need on this team?

Managers who listen and act
Executives need to be able to gather information from their teams, digest that information and then make sound decisions. Their team members are the people who perform the necessary tasks every day, across the company. Managers need to understand what they do and how they do it, so they can provide valuable insight for new ERP projects. If a manager doesn't know how to perform his team's tasks, how can he provide information for their ERP module? 

Strong communicators
Technically skilled employees are naturally important members of an ERP project team. After all, you need contributors who are handy with the software in order to make it work. But don't overlook communication as a valuable skill either – as your project will likely need to be rolled out to other employees, it's important to have good communicators who can use their skills to engage new users and develop training materials. 

'Big picture' thinkers
When implementing new processes and standards, there will likely be some individuals who act as obstacles. Maybe they don't want to change because the old way works for them, or their department. Maybe they don't care if a small change helps the company as a whole. They simply can't see the forest through the trees, or they don't want to. Your ERP team needs stakeholders who can think outside of their own silos, and see the greater good that these changes are bringing. Otherwise, progress may be stalled at the drawing board. 

Business minds
Obviously, an ERP project is heavily aligned with technology – you need technically skilled people in order to help implement and upgrade the software, as well as maintain its functionalities. However, don't think of an ERP project as just a technical one. Everything that your ERP software does should serve a business purpose. That means every ERP project is a business project. Include team members who are always taking the business aspect into consideration during any ERP project. 

An experienced, responsive vendor
Don't overlook the ERP vendor. Choosing the right one can make a huge difference, because these are the people who help establish the implementation strategy, the training programs and the post-implementation problem-solving. Selecting an ERP vendor that you trust ensures that your company has a dedicated partner who can work through any problem with you and your team. 

Are you ready to replace your legacy system with a robust new business management software solution that's built for manufacturing? Add Accent Software to your team! Accent is a Microsoft partner that provides Dynamics NAV. Our dedicated professionals can walk you through every step of the process, from implementation all the way to post-launch problem-solving. To learn more about winning ERP solutions, contact the Accent Software team today.