Before knowing Job responsibilities of ERP Consultant, lets know about ERP. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a process that enables businesses to integrate and centrally manage important business functions and processes. This typically involves the use of ERP software platforms.
The definition of ERP?
ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning refers to a suite of software that institutes and businesses use to manage day-to-day activities. These activities range from accounting, procurement, project management to risk management, compliance, and supply chain operations.
ERP was created to solve the management needs of all business processes. So, complete ERP also includes software to help plan, budget, predict, and report financials of an organization.
ERP systems work together to process business data and are crucial in the management of thousands of businesses across all industries.
Main ERP implementations:
ERP systems can be categorized depending on their implementation, as follows –
Cloud ERP – Also knowns as Software as a Service (or SaaS), in this implementation, an organization’s ERP system is run virtually via the “cloud” by an external provider. Comparatively, Cloud ERPs are much cheaper to install but may turn into an overhead cost down the line. Cloud ERPs have the upper hand when it comes to implementation speed, system upgrades, and performance.
On-premise ERP – By definition, an on-premise ERP system is run locally on computer hardware and servers, and is managed by IT staff. Although on-premise ERP systems are not as popular due to high upfront installation costs, and difficulty upgrading, many companies still prefer on-premise since they are able to handle their own data, making it a more secure option. Also, it offers the ability to customize and gives more control over the implementation process.
Hybrid ERP – As the name suggests, Hybrid ERP combines both cloud and on-premises ERP systems, bringing you the best of both worlds. The growing popularity of hybrid ERP is attributed to the flexibility and simplicity it offers by involving the benefits of both cloud and on-premises ERP.
What does an ERP Consultant do?
An ERP Consultant or an ERP Specialist helps manage Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for big organizations and businesses and bring ERP-related ideas to fruition. They do so by assisting in resource-planning. They strive to ensure that the company’s software runs as efficiently as possible.
Enterprise Resource Planing Consultants are also responsible for thedevelopment and overseeing of business analysis. They are vital to the ERP system of an organization. They are tasked with identifying the strength and weaknesses of an ERP product and provide suggestions to improve.
An ERP functional consultantis required to know about the business environment flow and processes of a company including the betterment of all business processes.
What are the Responsibilities of an ERP Consultant?
- Analyze and understand existing software
- Implement and support ERP systems
- Document the state of ERP configuration.
- Assist technical teams with change management and technical skills.
- Write design specifications and estimates for programs, based on requirements.
- Work with development teams to implement new requirements & Change Management Processes to address new functionality or requirements and to resolve recurring operational issue.
