8 attributes of a good ERP Consultant
A good ERP consultant
-Knows the product very well, and keep learning because he loves it. ERP Software is a complex, forever evolving man-made piece of ingenuity. And, as such it needs dedication, passion, and persistence, to keep ahead of the new emerging technologies. It requires practice and the love of helping others by sharing their knowledge.
-Plans and reviews his weekly and daily schedule.
-Spends the time required to listen and understand customer needs. You have one mouth and two ears, use them in that proportion. Listening as well as hearing is the foundation of all successful relationships.
-Communicates simply but accurately. Poor communication is like hearing a joke and not understanding the punch line. A good ERP consultant will take the time to re-read their email, review the words, check their spelling and watch their grammar. As well as the written word, the verbal word is plain, unambiguous, polite and clean. Swearing is not appropriate.
A good ERP consultant
– Is responsible. Sometimes “stuff” happens. It’s unavoidable and only human. However, a good consultant will always raise their hand to own the issue and take responsibility to rectify it at his/her cost. You should never be invoiced for mistakes or for educating the consultant.
– Is not afraid to debate or say “no” to his client. Occasionally requests are made of the consultant and their company that are not in the best interests of the customer and their business. Therefore the good consultant must be able to say “No”. But, also offer an alternative solution.
– Can handle all types of clients. Clients come in all shapes and sizes. Ethnicities, Skills Sets, Language. Every Client must be treated with respect. If you can’t, get out.
– Will make his project successful, whatever happens. A good consultant is like an elite athlete. They have an insatiable appetite to succeed. They are driven by the desire to succeed.
A bad ERP consultant
– Doesn’t spend enough time to understand and test the software. You can always spot a consultant who knows little about their product because either they won’t, or can’t demonstrate the features of their product.
– Doesn’t like plans and review documentation. A good consultant knows that planning and documentation is everything. A poor consultant is one that takes minimal if any notes and usually relies on memory. A recipe for disaster.
– Is always busy and doesn’t have time for his customer. The number one rule of any business is that the client is king/queen and must always be treated with the utmost respect. I always have my phone available to check on emails, even on weekends and holidays. If I can’t return the email, I let the customer know. DON’T EVER GHOST YOUR CUSTOMER!
– Makes things too complex because he loves and embraces complexity. ERP software are built by humans for humans. Tencia is a very easy to use product and is never complex. Any consultant that makes it too complex does not know their product
A bad ERP consultant
– Never accepts customer requests and complaints to make them happy. When your consultant does not return your calls, text, or emails, it’s time to leave or request a new consultant.
– Delivers a bad solution to his clients because of someone else fault. We’ve all worked with them. The consultant that refuses to own the problem. Stay away from them.
– Always believes working with clients is stupid. I have worked with consultants that have this attitude. They suck the life out of you and should be avoided at all times.
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