- Customization vs Configuration
- Benefits of Customization
- Risks of Customization
- Best Practices for Customization
- Benefits of Configuration
- Risks of Configuration
- Best Practices for Configuration
- Here’s what else to consider
1. Customization vs Configuration
Before we dive into the best options, let’s clarify the difference between customization and configuration. Customization is the process of modifying the source code or adding new code to the ERP system to change its functionality, appearance, or behavior. Configuration is the process of adjusting the settings, parameters, or features of the ERP system to suit the business requirements, without altering the code. Both customization and configuration can enhance the ERP system, but they have different implications for cost, time, complexity, and maintenance.
2. Benefits of Customization
Customization can offer several benefits for improving ERP system performance, such as the ability to add unique or industry-specific features, improve user interface and user experience, enhance security and compliance, increase efficiency and productivity, and integrate with other systems or applications that are not compatible with the ERP system. Furthermore, customization can match the organization’s branding and culture, as well as automate workflows and processes.
3. Risks of Customization
Customization of an ERP system comes with some risks that need to be taken into account, such as increased cost and time of implementation and maintenance, compatibility issues with updates or upgrades, reduced reliability and stability, increased complexity, and the potential to lose vendor warranty or support. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of customization to determine if it is the right choice for your organization.
4. Best Practices for Customization
To prevent or reduce the risks of customization, it is recommended to adhere to certain best practices. This includes conducting a comprehensive analysis of the business needs and objectives before customizing the ERP system, selecting a respected and experienced vendor or developer who can provide quality customizations, documenting and testing the customizations regularly and thoroughly, limiting the customizations and utilizing configuration options whenever possible, and ensuring that the customizations are in line with the ERP system’s architecture and standards.
5. Benefits of Configuration
Configuration can also offer several benefits for improving ERP system performance. For example, it can help adapt the ERP system to the organization’s policies and procedures, improve data accuracy and consistency by setting up validation rules and default values, enhance reporting and analysis by configuring dashboards and reports, increase flexibility and scalability by enabling or disabling features and modules, and reduce the need for customization and coding.
6. Risks of Configuration
When configuring, it’s important to be aware of potential drawbacks, such as creating confusion or errors by changing settings without proper documentation or communication. Overconfiguring or underconfiguring the ERP system can limit its functionality or performance. Additionally, incorrect or inconsistent configuration can affect its security and compliance. Furthermore, configuring the system can increase complexity and difficulty when troubleshooting and testing. Lastly, updates or upgrades of the ERP system can cause you to lose configuration settings or data.
7. Best Practices for Configuration
Avoiding or mitigating the drawbacks of configuration requires following some best practices, such as establishing a clear and consistent strategy and governance, assigning roles and responsibilities for configuration tasks and changes, documenting and communicating the configuration settings and changes, testing and reviewing the settings and changes, as well as backing up and restoring the configuration settings and data.
8. Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
SOURCE: Planning, E. R. (2023a, December 14). What are the best ERP customization and configuration options to improve system performance? www.linkedin.com.
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-best-erp-customization-configuration-3d24e?trk=cah1
