How cohesion between human practices and technology paves the way to success.
Manchester City Football Club was taken over by rich Arab investors in 2008. The same happened at competitor club Paris Saint-Germain in 2011. There is no shortage of money – and therefore no shortage of footballing talent – at these two clubs. Even more impressive: Paris Saint-Germain broke the transfer record twice in one summer by buying players for around EUR 400 million in total. For their part, Manchester City spend more than EUR 100 million or more on transfers each year. With so much investment in talented, technically gifted players – which has to make a real difference to the team –one may assume success is guaranteed. However, neither club has won the Champions League since they were taken over…
Leicester City is a different proposition. They were almost relegated in 2014-2015 but then became champions of England the following season. They did this with less money and fewer good players. The secret: a close-knit, well-established team with excellent cohesion whose members always push each other on.
Strong cohesion and cooperation right from the start!
The same can be said for the implementation of an ERP system and the success it can bring to an organisation. Of course, a good basis for the technology is critical to the final result. However, when cohesion with other systems and cooperation with people is in jeopardy, it can feel like you are always fighting against the system rather than working with it.
ERP systems such as S/4HANA have the power to make life easier for users. They are intuitive, understandable and beneficial to the work process. However, this requires strong cohesion between how the system is set up, how it is used and the master data in the system.
This all starts with the implementation. The focus is usually on how the system is set up on a technical level. However, the process changes and work agreements discussed during workshops are also an essential part of implementation. If you take changes within the organisation into account at an early stage, you ensure a system setup in line with the work processes. Proper implementation can help to avoid a great deal of irritation. And that’s great!
It is also important to continue to focus on making use of the system’s capabilities. Cloud-based ERP systems such as S/4HANA Cloud, in particular, continually offer new features. Adopting these features increases the added value of the system and therefore acceptance within the organisation. Where previously work on the system used to be more or less finished after implementation, this is now an ongoing process. An ideal scenario is when IT departments act as a sparring partner for the business. The result speaks for itself: The system provides users with better support in their work. The cohesion between people and technology ensures an optimum result.
Ctac focuses on cohesion – both in our own operations and with our customers. With our knowledge of technology and its implementation, we ensure your organisation can work together seamlessly. In other words: no relegations in the near future and perhaps even a chance to win the Champions League!
Curious about what we can do for your organisation? Contact us by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
