User Review
( votes)The gradual shift from on-premises to cloud ERP makes the old emphasis on IT infrastructure less relevant and the ability to piece together cloud products more important.
ERP support
ERP support-As companies increasingly migrate to cloud-based ERP systems, there are numerous adjustments to consider. From added integration complexity and quarterly updates to more stringent data practices and ramped-up employee self-service, cloud ERP brings significant change.
To cope with all of this disruption, organizations must assemble a completely different kind of ERP support staff.
Gone are the days when the people working in ERP support could focus strictly on the hardware and software underlying the system. No longer can they simply throw technology over the wall to users. Modern systems call for ERP support staff who can balance people, processes and technology as never before.
Skills in cloud services and products now a priority
“It’s a collaborative team effort between IT and the business,” said Paul Schenck, analyst at Gartner. “It’s a total shift in the mindset.”
More specifically, Schenck said an increasingly valuable ERP support role going forward — one that he already sees some companies filling — is that of a cloud services broker. This is a term that’s largely been considered a service that organizations seek from a third party, but it’s slowly moving in-house, with good reason.
Cloud services brokers manage ongoing vendor relationships, a job that’s become much more complex in today’s multi-vendor hybrid environments. They manage communication about cloud vendors’ quarterly releases, they make sure vendors are adhering to service-level agreements and honoring contract terms and they manage the relationships between users and vendors.
Schenck said another important evolution in ERP support needs is a shift from project-based management — a leftover from the era of tackling huge on-premises ERP upgrades every few years — to more modular, product-based management. In this model, Agile-based methodologies are employed by small teams that manage the more frequent update cycle for specific parts of the business, such as HR or procurement, or even smaller pieces of those functions. This allows the ERP system to meet the specific needs of independent teams.
