The operational efficiency of a business depends on how swiftly and seamlessly an ERP system works with the business. However, too many customizations in the system can result in inefficiencies like slow order entries and a cumbersome reporting process.
Customizations can introduce additional steps, validations, or dependencies in the order entry workflow, making the process slower. Moreover, employees may need to spend more time manually navigating through the system, leading to inefficiencies and increased labor costs. For businesses in retail, slow order processing also impacts on the overall customer experience due to delayed order fulfillment and errors.
Making music with an updated ERP
The Zildjian Company, a Norwell, Massachusetts-based manufacturer of high-performance musical instruments like drums, cymbals and percussion mallets since 1623 faced a similar issue. The company’s products are sold worldwide, under the Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Balter brands.
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The company used a legacy version of Infor Syteline ERP and was experiencing slow order entry due to customizations, security issues, and cumbersome reporting processes. It approached Godlan, a gold channel partner for Infor, with these issues and opted to update its system to the latest version of Infor Syteline.
The upgrade resulted in a tangible performance improvement of its order entry and report generation processes. The latest features of Infor Syteline not only improved and streamlined Zildjian’s workflow but also enhanced efficiency due to performance increases and improvements in the user interface. This allowed the sales support staff to respond to customers quickly with relevant information and documentation through reporting. Multiple versions of forms and reports were also standardized during the implementation, reducing the burden on support staff generating modifications.
Infor SyteLine ERP has advanced manufacturing and supply chain planning capabilities built in, including role-based dashboards and KPIs, in-context data visualization, and more built into the core solution. All these features helped Zildjian achieve more efficiency from its ERP system upgrade.
What this means for ERP users
Enhance security with regular updates to your ERP. Zildjian was struggling with the security in its legacy ERP system when it chose to upgrade to Infor Syteline as older versions are more vulnerable to breaches. The upgrade was timely as operating an older system can lead to data loss, compliance issues, and financial damage. Studies indicate that the global cost of cybercrime will escalate at a rate of 15% in 2025 and beyond, highlighting the growing need to ensure a secure environment for business data. New ERP systems utilize advanced security measures such as Zero Trust architecture and end-to-end encryption, which are vital to safeguarding sensitive information and data. SAPinsider research also indicates that data storage and protection requirements, in combination with cloud-based data encryption and protection, help increase the security of cloud-based systems.
ERP upgrades significantly enhance compliance. A survey showed that 75% of organizations reported improved compliance after implementing or upgrading to a new ERP system. With government regulations changing constantly, organizations must ensure they are updated with the latest compliance standards to avoid the risk of non-compliance fines and penalties. Upgrading ensures that the ERP system mitigates these risks by aligning with current regulatory requirements.
Leverage the latest features to optimize your processes. According to an SAPinsider survey, organizations that are implementing or updating their systems over the next 12-24 months are those that are either new to cloud ERP or are looking to better utilize the environment. The survey suggests that cloud development tools help organizations with developing new applications in cloud environments, while AI and machine learning are capabilities that can come into their own with the performance and capacity offered by cloud environments.
