Is Consultancy as a Service the Future of ERP Cloud Implementations?

When implementing cloud based enterprise resource planning solutions companies are attracted to the cloud by several advantages that cloud or Software as a Service enterprise resource planning offers:

• Predictable monthly investment in Software as a Service
• Cloud access anywhere, anytime from any device
• World class backup and security from global cloud providers of enterprise resource planning solutions
• Scalability
• Quick return on investment
• Easy upgrades
• New technology

The challenge for many small to medium sized businesses is that enterprise resource planning software needs to be implemented using a structured implementation methodology that involves:

• Project management
• User training
• System configuration
• User acceptance testing
• Scope of works
• Data conversion
• Go live assistance

Depending on functional requirements, the number of users and other related factors an enterprise resource planning implementation for a small to medium sized business takes three to six months of elapsed time including twenty to eighty consultancy days. Let us provide a little more detailed analysis:

• Small finance only implementation of a cloud enterprise resource planning solution usually takes fifteen to twenty consultancy days over two to three elapsed or project months.

• Small to medium sized wholesale or distribution implementations of a cloud enterprise resource planning solution usually takes thirty to fifty consultancy days over three to four elapsed or project months.

• Small to medium sized implementations of cloud enterprise resource planning solution for a manufacturing company usually takes sixty to eighty consultancy days over four to six elapsed or project months.

The challenge for many small to medium sized businesses is cash flow and the upfront investment required for consultancy and implementation services. At an average rate of approximately fifteen hundred dollars per consultancy day most enterprise resource planning resellers will require a budget of thirty thousand dollars to one hundred and sixty thousand dollars for implementation of enterprise resource planning for a small to medium sized business. The cash flow benefits of cloud solutions like monthly Software as a Service payments are put under pressure by the upfront cash flow requirements of the implementation services.

One of the fantastic developments in cloud enterprise resource planning solutions is that the advances in cloud technology have put enormous processing power in the hands of small to medium sized businesses. Enterprise software including integrated finance, distribution, manufacturing and services alongside modern technology such as AI, Internet of Things, mobility and ecommerce are now available to small and medium sized businesses through modern technology from enterprise resource planning providers like SAP, Sage and MYOB.

If the barrier to entry is the upfront implementation costs to implement enterprise resource planning then let us get rid of that barrier by introducing Consultancy as a Service or Implementation as a Service for enterprise resource planning.

Mitigating Risk and Aligning Cash Flow

Traditional deployment models often introduce a sharp financial disconnect for growing companies. While subscription licensing allows businesses to spread operational software costs over time, the professional services required to map workflows, migrate databases and configure software ledgers remain a heavy front loaded expense. This financial mismatch can force organisations to delay vital technology upgrades, leaving them dependent on outdated legacy systems that restrict their ability to scale.

By restructuring professional services into a predictable operating expense, companies can preserve working capital for market expansion, inventory acquisition and staff development. This strategic alignment ensures that financial performance matches technology expenses throughout the entire corporate lifecycle.

The concept behind the Leverage Technologies Consultancy or Implementation as a Service is simple. Get great implementation services, user training and enterprise resource planning consultancy for SAP Business One, Sage Intacct, Sage X3 and MYOB Acumatica and pay for these project implementation services as a monthly fee.

As an example, let us assume your cloud enterprise resource planning implementation is going to require a services budget of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars for system configuration, user training, project management and data conversion. The project might run for five months from project kick off to go live. Under normal enterprise resource planning implementation guidelines, the one hundred and twenty thousand dollars to implement enterprise resource planning would be spread over the five month implementation and you pay each week or month for services consumed, usually based on weekly timesheets.

Under the new Consultancy as a Service offering, you pay a monthly fee over an agreed timeframe. If the agreed timeframe is twenty four months, the business pays five thousand dollars per month over the life of the enterprise resource planning Consultancy as a Service timeframe. Simple, easy payments that help companies improve cash flow through a spread of predictable monthly payments.

Consultancy as a Service is another great offering from the team at Leverage Technologies, looking to put modern, cloud enterprise resource planning solutions in the hands of small to medium sized businesses so that they can improve cash flow, achieve better customer service and help staff focus on strategic decision making.

Contact the enterprise resource planning team at Leverage Technologies to find out how implementing a new enterprise resource planning solution could benefit your business.