ERP Consultant
The platforms of business intelligence and business management They are revolutionizing the way business is run. Knowing how to systematize processes and carry out analysis of the company's operation is essential to ensure good growth and improve performance.
In this article we are going to talk about how to be an ERP consultant. These professionals use what is known as ERP systems to integrate the different functions of the company into a single platform.
If you are thinking about being an ERP consultant or want to understand what the functions and skills of these professionals are, then stay and we are going to inform you about all this and much more.
What is an ERP consultant
An ERP consultant (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a person who is in charge of the internal management of a company through specialized software such as held either Sage.
Its main mission is integrate all company data and information within the system so that they can be accessed quickly and securely.
The ERP consultant carries out a prior study of the company to understand how it is organized and from there proposes the entire integration strategy and architecture of the different departments such as sales, marketing or development within the ERP manager.
The goal is optimize company processes and have everything accessible through the same software. The parts of the company that can be integrated within the ERP are accounting, project management, billing, equipment, inventory and CRM.
ERPs allow a revolution in how a company is organized and run. Ara we have everything in one and we can quickly access the information we need directly from the same platform.
However, these programs can be complicated at first since they require prior knowledge of how they work and what is the best way to put everything together.
Here the role of the ERP consultant comes into play, a specialist in this type of platforms and in advising companies on the best way to incorporate it.
Skills and functions of an ERP consultant
For companies to hire us as ERP consultants, it is important that we previously have a series of skills.
In this section we explain what skills you must have to be able to successfully carry out the expected functions of this type of software consultants.
Make decisions
An ERP consultant must be able to carry out a study of the company's situation and automate complex processes so that they are scalable and reliable using ERP software.
To do this, it is necessary to make certain decisions and sometimes change the way the company works and is organized internally.
Understand ERP software
The ERP software consultant must understand ERP systems and know which one is the most appropriate and best suited for each specific company.
Each business is different and so is the systematization process through ERP. The consultant has to adapt to each company and know which processes will bring the greatest benefit.
To do this, the professional must be qualified and have experience in applying these systems in other types of companies and businesses.
Integrate ERP modules
ERPs have different management modules that follow the pattern of the different departments of a company: marketing, sales, finance, accounting...
The professional of this type of platform must know how to integrate the ERP modules necessary to improve business management and have the different departments integrated into the same system.
Understand the modules
Apart from knowing how to integrate, it is also vital that you know how each of the modules works and handle them correctly. There are individual certifications for each of the ERPs where knowledge about the platform is evaluated in depth.
Analysis
It is important that the consultant has an analytical mind and knows how to draw conclusions from the ERP reports with the aim of improving the systematization of the company and being able to make better internal decisions through business intelligence.
This skill improves with experience. A junior consultant has been in few companies so he does not yet have much experience analyzing and drawing conclusions that help improve the direction of the company.
Know how to teach and communicate
The ERP consultant is also responsible for teaching how these systems work to the company's workers. For this reason, it is important to know how to communicate and teach concepts appropriately.
How to work as an ERP software consultant
In order to work as an ERP consultant, it is necessary to have the specific certifications of each of the providers of this type of platforms.
It is also recommended to have some university degree related to project management and have knowledge of agile work methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.
At first you can start as a junior consultant and as you learn and have more experience you can opt for the position of senior consultant.
The salaries that these business management professionals earn will depend on the country where you are located. In Spain, salaries can vary between 30,000 euros and 45,000 euros gross per year depending on experience and the company where you work.
In other countries with a higher purchasing power, such as the United States, the salaries of ERP consultants rise to a range between 70,000 and 100,000 dollars gross per year.
Another option is to work as a freelancer and give audits to different companies to tell them which parts of the company can be improved and how ERP software would help them. From here, if they are interested, you can work for them as a freelancer helping them implement ERP systems.