Many companies are using the improved economy and the Section 179 accelerated depreciation tax benefit to make an investment in upgraded ERP software. Such a high impact decision merits careful research and consideration, especially in light of a significant percentage of implementation failures.

ERP professional Steve Phillips says that within the ERP industry, it is very common to hear consultants or software vendors state, “The project was unsuccessful because our client did not take ownership of their project.” However, most organizations do not sign-up for ERP projects with the goal of failing.

Phillips has authored the first book, Control Your ERP Destiny: Reduce Project Costs, Mitigate Risks, and Design Better Business Solutions, to present comprehensive strategies and techniques that enable organizations to take charge of their ERP projects to drive success.

A featured contributor for several popular ERP software selection and project management websites, including IT Toolbox’s Street Smart ERP, Phillips describes how to become less dependent on outside software consultants, significantly reduce implementation and support costs, mitigate risks, and design business solutions that work for your company.

His book provides hundreds of tips to create internal project ownership, manage ERP vendors, transfer software knowledge, develop the right implementation strategies, establish a realistic schedule and budget, and streamline business processes. It is a guide for making informed decisions during each project phase. The information is applicable to new implementations and system upgrades. And with such a significant investment in time and money, utilizing Phillips’ expertise before implementing a new ERP is a good first step in mitigating the risk.

Endorsed by industry thought leaders R Ray Wang (ERP blog: A Software Insider’s Point of View), Tom F. Wallace (author of the book ERP: Making It Happen), and Andy Klee (President of Klee Associates), the book is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders and as an e-book using Google Player (Android and Apple devices or using any web browser). Also, a substantial discount is available by purchasing a copy of the book directly from the publisher - for more info contact Steve Phillips.

How does Tribute, Inc. Help Mitigate Risk?

Tribute, Inc. provides distribution management software for a specific niche – industrial distributors. Tribute has spent 30 years focused on the fluid power, automation and motion control marketplace, which means that we understand the unique requirements of that industry.

Many software providers rely on web-based tutorials for training, leaving customers to be disciplined about implementing a rigorous self-training program. Others rely on Value Added Reseller’s (VAR’s) to install a customized version of a Tier I or II software and the customer may spend a lot of time teaching the VAR about their unique constraints, processes and nuances about their business and industry

Tribute specializes in industry-specific knowledge and superior customer service to set us apart from the competition. This translates into a more knowledgeable and personalized training and implementation program, conducted at the customer site, allowing a more comprehensive implementation of the software in a shorter time frame, thereby realizing financial and time saving returns much more quickly.

Tribute’s Manager of Onsite Consulting and Implementations, John Teahan, came to Tribute with over 31 years of experience at several fluid power distributorships (S.G. Morris Co., Aberdeen Dynamics Supply, Ritter Engineering) and is dedicated to organizational management and the principles of Lean Six Sigma and is a Six Sigma Green Belt.

Not only does Tribute provide training in the software, but provides the expertise of a staff that understands your industry at the micro-level and has developed relationships with your suppliers to facilitate the supply chain. Tribute helps you realize the full value of the business benefits expected with comprehensive onsite training and a continuing education process through interactive online training sessions. For more information on Tribute’s software and services visit http://www.tribute.com or contact Nina Baker. Click here to read our white paper, The Importance of Implementation in Realizing the Full Potential of Your Software.

Steve Phillips is an ERP professional with over twenty-seven years of implementation experience as a software consultant and a practitioner within industry. His background includes senior management education, software selection, project management, application consulting, process redesign, systems design, testing, training, and post go-live support.