An ERP is a complex investment for your clients, but bringing in a partner at the right time can ease complexity instead of adding to it.
Clients who are shopping for an ERP have a lot on their plates. They’re looking for a piece of software that can integrate with nearly every aspect of their business, and as an ERP reseller, you are tasked with helping them find the right one. It’s a lot to think about.
And yet, for all their complexity, ERPs still aren’t usually the solution your client needs right out of the box. They require fine tuning to really help a business excel—fine tuning from someone with software expertise and deep industry knowledge. ERPs also often need third-party add-ons to truly connect with the granular logistical needs of a business. In the case of manufacturing businesses, those third-party additions often come in the form of an MES or a production scheduler.
As the expert in manufacturing software, you’ve already identified the products that elevate your ERP, and have formed strong relationships with their designers. Your sales lead, on the other hand, is confronting a lot of new information at once, and the idea of introducing another relationship and another software tool might give you both pause. But the reality is that by bringing your partner in earlier, you can help your client refine their vision for their ERP implementation and get the most out of the process, as well as win their trust. Here’s how.
Start relationships off on the right foot.
It’s common for the best answer to a client’s software needs to include a combination of products. In those cases, your client is signing up for a long-term relationship not just with their ERP vendor, but also with the designers of any supplemental software that is part of their package. It helps everyone to begin those relationships early.
If you choose to bring in a production scheduler like JobPack, the software will be part of your client’s day-to-day operations just as much as their ERP is. An ERP implementation is an in-depth, sometimes stressful process with many moving parts. When we can meet a potential client early on, before the hard work begins, we can start establishing a relationship of trust and transparency from the get-go. That way, when the implementation is in full swing and a client has questions or needs, they won’t hesitate to come to us.
An early introduction has the added benefit of showcasing your expertise as a reseller. You can demonstrate to your lead that you understand their challenges and needs, and you already have an answer for them. That immediate credibility win can help you close your sale.
Develop a shared vision for your ERP implementation.
Dozens of smaller decisions go into planning for an investment in an ERP. When your client has access to the expertise of your partners, they can approach these decisions with a more holistic understanding of what their software solution can do for them—and, importantly, vice versa as well.
When your partners can set up dialogue with your clients, we can begin to learn their pain points in greater depth, and leverage our industry expertise to guide them toward the specific problems they are trying to solve. As we learn more, we can help you shape your clients’ criteria and expectations for their software investment. That way, you and your client can be sure that they are receiving the best and most tailored solution for their needs.
Customize for your client’s unique environment.
Building relationships and refining your client’s vision pay dividends when it’s time to finalize what your client is looking for in their software solution. In determining what they need, it helps for your client to understand what’s possible. As the reseller, you have the expertise in your ERP and the ways it can be modified to suit your client’s industry and software environment. Your other partners, like JobPack, can provide the same level of detail for our products.
Manufacturers operate under exacting schedules, and real-time visibility into their shop floor operations is a transformative benefit. We can work with your client to design the kind of integration they need between JobPack and their ERP to best make use of that information. JobPack has integrated with a wide range of ERPs, and we have yet to encounter one that we can’t work with. We can also bring that experience to bear for your client, and offer an expert perspective on how to tailor their ERP’s functions to match their use case.
Lay a foundation for your implementation’s ultimate success.
The number of moving parts in an ERP implementation plan can be intimidating. But when you make your client aware of them up front, you can design the process to be as smooth and straightforward as possible. Resellers and partners each have deep expertise in ERP implementations, while your client may only ever complete one or two. Knowing the client’s needs and being familiar with the process, we can help them determine when the best stage is to introduce a third-party addition.
In many cases, that addition can start to benefit your client right away. Implementing JobPack toward the start of your full ERP implementation can reduce risk for your client, helping them streamline and organize their processes before taking on the additional load. And the best way to plan for that frontloaded installation is by having the discussion early in the process.
Close ERP sales with JobPack.
JobPack offers the transparency, precision, and flexibility that your manufacturing clients need, and integrates into almost any technology environment. We’ve earned our expertise with ERPs, and we can help you share it with your clients. Partner with us, and give your clients a sales process that answers their questions and nets them the right solution.
To see what JobPack can add to your clients’ ERPs, or for an introduction to our referral program, contact us today.
