Organizations are often looking for ways to get more value out of their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. After all, these tools are the digital backbone for finance, HR, supply chain, and more. When used strategically, ERPs seamlessly integrate data, drive efficiency, and enable better decision-making.
However, even considering all the power these platforms offer, they come with a simple but often misunderstood truth: ERP isn’t “set it and forget it.”
Successful ERP management isn’t just about getting through implementation or stabilization but rather about having the right ERP support services to ensure the system scales with your business and remains aligned with your goals and needs well after go-live.
With many cloud-based ERP providers rolling out application updates and feature enhancements, it’s hard to know if you’re getting the most out of your system. Worse, understanding what functionality you are and aren’t making use of furthers the gap between investment and value.
In fact, one study showed that nearly half of businesses (47%) say they don’t use all of the ERP capabilities they purchased. Moreover, they feel they’ve overpaid for their solutions.
That’s where the value of having a dedicated ERP partner comes into play. Think of such a partner not just as a vendor or a one-time consultant, but as a strategic collaborator invested in your long-term success.
What’s at Stake Without a Strategic ERP Partnership
Business leaders are focused on running your organization, not looking for ways to optimize your ERP solution. When companies attempt to manage their ERPs independently, particularly after go-live, they often face a familiar set of challenges. Below are some of the most common:
- Fragmented ownership: Responsibility for the system becomes distributed across functional silos, and communication breakdowns often result.
- Reactive problem-solving: Issues are only addressed when something breaks. And this reactive approach leads to fire drills, workarounds, and growing end-user frustration.
- Stalled improvements: Without proactive governance, optimization efforts take a back seat and as a result valuable features go unused, and integration opportunities get missed.
- Knowledge gaps: As staff turns over or priorities shift, institutional memory fades. Critical details about how (and why) the system was configured are lost and only compound over time.
- Overextended IT teams: Internal resources often lack the time or specialized expertise to manage ERP at the level it demands. Plus, your teams are probably already exhausted from essentially working two full-time jobs leading up to cutover.
These gaps don’t just affect the performance of your ERP, they impact on your company’s agility, data quality, and ability to respond effectively to change.
Treat ERP Support Services Like an Ongoing Journey
One of the major benefits of a cloud-based ERP is that it is scalable. That means these platforms are designed to evolve. With Regular updates, new modules, and integration opportunities always on the horizon, it’s up to you to ensure you’re taking advantage of them.
And without a plan to assess, prioritize, and adopt those changes, organizations risk falling behind or overcomplicating their architecture.
With an effective ERP support services strategy however, you can expect the following:
- Continuous improvement committee to maximize return on the system. These teams focus on collecting and implementing feedback from end users. This team can proactively identify areas where the ERP system can better serve your people and processes.
- Performance monitoring to ensure stability and efficiency. Ongoing system health checks are crucial to ensure your ERP system remains reliable and continues to deliver ideal business outcomes.
- Change management to guide users through evolving processes. Change is one of the biggest hurdles in ERP adoption. Your organization can facilitate smooth adaptation by building readiness and acceptance for the new system.
- Strategic planning to align ERP with broader business objectives. Start by analyzing your current state and identifying growth opportunities. Then, crafting roadmaps and defining success metrics to help you allocate resources more effectively.
- Governance to provide oversight and enforce standards. This ensures the ERP environment remains consistent, secure, and aligned with stakeholder expectations. An effective strategy includes proactive risk management and goal tracking.
Each of these ongoing requirements involves time, attention, and a mix of technical and functional knowledge that’s rarely housed within a single internal team.
ERP Success Isn’t a Destination, It’s an Ongoing Journey
The most effective ERP partnerships are built on continuity and familiarity. A dedicated partner can help you monitor performance, highlight what’s working well, and flag opportunities for improvement before small issues become larger problems.
They also serve as a guide through regular updates, helping you prioritize the changes that matter most and ensuring your system evolves in step with your organization’s goals. And when new needs emerge, whether it’s process redesign, technical development, or training, a partner who already understands your configuration and culture can step in quickly, preserving institutional knowledge and accelerating delivery.
Enterprise systems don’t thrive in isolation. They require thoughtful oversight, regular tuning, and the ability to adapt as your business needs evolve. For organizations running Infor CloudSuite or any large-scale ERP, having the right partner is a foundational element of success.
At RPI Consultants, we’ve built long-term relationships with businesses that go far beyond go-live. Our strategic partnership model is designed to deliver sustained value, not just quick fixes. As part of a strategic alliance with RPI, you’ll receive dedicated support, on-demand project resources, and proactive services to ensure your ERP continues delivering the value you need.
To learn more about RPI’s strategic partnership model, check out our offering guide below.
