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The business landscape is changing for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). According to Forbes, more businesses are expanding geographically into the global digital economy to sell across borders, while also focusing on the growth and resiliency of their local communities. They’re selectively using AI more in marketing, while also limiting that use to create personalized experiences and foster a human connection with their customers. Overall, “change is the only constant in the small business landscape.”
To manage all this change, many SMBs are turning to enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology, so they can do more with less. But what they need from that technology is also constantly changing. While some of these needs can be filled by standard best practices, others vary greatly from company to company. This dynamism coupled with evolving business needs has increased the importance of and reliance on ERP consultants. But experienced technical experts can no longer stick to only one set of best practices and advice. They also have to adapt to fill, and keep filling, the evolving needs of today’s SMBs.
Acumatica understands this. We understand the vital role consultants play in supporting a business’s needs and ensuring positive and seamless transitions to new systems that will help each company scale and grow—on its own terms. And we know that ERP consultants themselves need support as their roles shift with the changing business landscape. That’s why we’ve scheduled our second Master Implementers Program Workshop, which will take place September 16 to 19 in Denver, Colorado. This workshop is part of Acumatica’s commitment to identifying and training experienced consultants to match skills with opportunities in the fast-growing ERP market. It will equip you with the latest cloud ERP strategies, and industry-specific insights that are crucial to staying competitive
But how exactly is the role of the ERP consultant currently evolving? Here are four major ways.
- Growing demand for cloud technology expertise
SMBs are increasingly choosing cloud-based solutions as opposed to on-premises options. The cloud is a way to reduce hardware and IT costs, increase security, boost flexibility, and scale faster. Recent findings from Colorlib state, “In 2024, 94% of all companies worldwide will use some kind of cloud computing service to help them run their operations, a 14% jump from 2020.”
To best guide SMBs on their cloud ERP journey, ERP consultants should have technical proficiency with cloud technologies, such as cloud deployment, software integrations, and data security.
But the requirements don’t end with the purely technical. Strong ERP consultants also have the “soft skills” necessary to know what questions to ask the SMBs and when, leading the SMBs through the initial discovery phase through implementation. This may be the hardest skill of them all to teach..
What it takes is experience and expertise—which are in high demand in this digital age.
- Emerging reliance on data analytics and business intelligence
SMBs rely on data and business intelligence (BI) to drive their decision-making, and that reliance is only increasing. Acumatica’s analytics tools help pinpoint the business successes and failures using the real-time data – driving better business decisions and fueling their businesses growth.
Consultants must have the expertise necessary to help companies implement, configure, and use BI and reporting tools that can provide insights on demand. The most powerful data analytics will make the most of the new data that rolls in every day along with historical data which is migrated into Acumatica during implementation. This combination helps to reveal trends in the business overtime, empowering SMB’s to find the needle in the haystack and lead positive change in the business.
Consultants who understand the power of the historical data and facilitate a successful data migration process during implementation deliver value to the customers beyond what can be imagined – particularly customers migrating to an ERP such as Acumatica for the first time.
- Critical importance of industry-specific expertise
The value of experienced consultants only increases when they have industry expertise.
SMBs in different industries have different needs. To be able to provide tailored advice, consultants now need to have a deep knowledge of the industries in which they are working. Decision-makers at SMBs can tell whether a consultant truly knows their industry in just a five-minute conversation, so it is very important to speak their language. When combined with product knowledge, it institutes confidence.
Today’s ERP consultants don’t need to just know how the ERP system works. They need to know how it works for the specific industry at hand—and how it can be configured to work even better for each specific company.
- Continuous engagement in a SaaS model
The days of the “implement and leave” model are gone. Today’s SMBs want long-term partnerships with their consultants. To meet this demand, consultants must remain focused on building, maintaining, and strengthening the client relationships over time. Think of SaaS like renting versus owning. When you rent, you’re more flexible to move, but when you own something outright, you’re less inclined to make changes. Similarly, in SaaS, strong relationships and effective product solutions are what keep clients renewing their subscriptions year after year.
This starts by building trust and confidence during the sale and implementation processes, followed by training and continued support to help companies get the most out of their investment over the years. ERP is a large investment for small and medium sized companies and maintaining a strong relationship with frequent touchpoints dramatically improves customer satisfaction and keeps the customer coming back for another year.
Consultants are now expected to act as strategic partners, helping businesses truly thrive in the digital world—no matter how that world changes. This means consultants must adapt and continuously learn—staying as current and agile as the businesses they are helping to succeed.
Conclusion
The business landscape for SMBs is constantly changing, and with it the roles of ERP consultants are rapidly evolving. While you work to support the businesses under your care, Acumatica’s Master Implementers Program Workshop is designed to help support you.
Register now to join us from September 16 to 19 in Denver to meet, learn from, and network with other leading experts in the consultancy field. For more information, contact Alex.Sayavong@acumatica.com.
