Implement Sage X3 and Overcome Legacy System Challenges

Sage EM (formerly known as Sage X3) can help you overcome many of the challenges you face using outmoded legacy systems. Sure, legacy systems are as comfortable and familiar as a pair of broken-in sneakers, but staying comfortable comes with risks. The risk of lost data, lost productivity, and worst—lost customers and profits. Instead of staying with your legacy system, moving to a new enterprise resource planning system, such as Sage X3, can boost your business into new areas of profitability and efficiency.

Overcoming Team Inertia

One of the big challenges facing many companies is helping their employees understand the benefits of embracing a new system. Employees may be used to using an older legacy system. They don’t see the costs of continually updating and fixing an older system, nor do they see the areas ripe for improvement.

From an employee’s perspective, a legacy system may be just fine. Yet, you know that Sage X3 provides better insights, faster reports, and real-time data, all things that your team has said they want or need in an enterprises resource planning system.

To overcome resistance to change and what we’ve dubbed “team inertia,” it’s important to emphasize the benefits to your employees when you’re pitching them on embracing the new Sage X3 system. People respond best to information on what’s in it for them—what will help them do their jobs faster and better. Emphasizing the benefits to each department of using Sage X3 is what will help move teams out of inertia and into action.

Make People Part of the Change

Another way to overcome employee inertia is to make people part of the solution. Invite selected team members into the group. Teams sometimes invest a great deal of time and energy into making existing systems work, and it can be hard to break free from the mindset that, because they’ve invested so much in the current system, the company should keep it. They don’t understand the urgent need to replace an existing system with something better.

It’s important to express your appreciation to those who have kept the old system going. People need to understand that just because Sage X3 is replacing the existing system does not mean their help is no longer needed. On the contrary—the legacy system experts can now become the Sage X3 experts and help with the new ERP system.

When you include team members in the evaluation stages, you’re exposing them to the benefits of a new system early on. They’ll see firsthand during these meetings with your potential ERP system vendor just how much better a new system will be.

Offer Exceptional Training

To assist with the transition to Sage X3, be sure to schedule ample opportunity for training in the new system. You can schedule general group training, as well as specific training by department to help people learn more about functions in Sage X3 such as invoicing or CRM.

Another great training step is to identify so-called “super users” to become the go-to people in-house for questions about Sage X3. Such individuals don’t have to be people from the IT department, just employees willing to learn more about the system.

Lead by Example

Embracing a new system starts from the top down. Set a good example by holding yourself accountable for learning the new system and using it as soon as it’s ready. This way you’ll be both an expert on it and a good example for others!

Sage X3: An Enterprise Resource Planning System Made for Manufacturing

Once your employees begin using Sage X3, they’ll never want to go back to the legacy system again. That’s because Sage X3 is an enterprise resource planning system that’s made for the manufacturing industry. It contains multiple functions in one system so that everything from accounting to warehouse management is in one central location.

With Sage X3, you can monitor warehouse function; track shipments, bill your customers; and manage accounting, finance, inventory, operations and customer relationships. It’s made for manufacturers so it has intuitive navigation and workflows that match your business’ requirement.

IWI Consulting Group can also help you with migrating legacy systems into new systems such as Sage X3. Our migration services help you improve efficiency and get your new system running quickly. We can help with many legacy system migrations including QuickBooks, Intuit, and more.

Contact IWI Consulting for more information on Sage X3 and product migration support.

IWI Consulting Group

IWI Consulting Group helps businesses gain insights into their operations, inventory, and profitability. We provide software and support for a wide range of industries throughout Canada. For more information, please visit IWI Consulting Group or contact us today.