Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system needs ongoing attention as your business evolves. Modern managed services can help you stay ahead of issues, streamline everyday work and get more from your ERP investment. That means having the right resources to:
An ERP system can be operating exactly as designed and still leave employees with questions. A controller might need help closing the books while an administrator updates system access for a new hire. A reporting requirement might change, or an integration could start producing errors. Each issue requires prompt attention without disrupting day-to-day operations.
That responsibility often falls to a small internal team juggling competing priorities. And even the most capable ERP teams can only do so much. Between troubleshooting issues, maintaining systems and responding to new requests, there’s often little time left to focus on improvements.
That's one reason traditional break/fix ERP support often falls short. Addressing problems as they arise is important, but you also need help making better use of your ERP over time.
ERP managed services help close that gap by extending internal capacity with access to functional and technical support, system maintenance and specialized expertise. Depending on the arrangement, they can also help your team identify opportunities to improve how your ERP operates.
But what does that support actually include?
While the specifics depend on your internal capabilities and priorities, several core components are worth understanding.
Even routine ERP questions and issues can slow down employees and disrupt operations. Managed services provide a reliable way to address common challenges, including:
The exact scope varies depending on which ERP managed services plan you choose, but the goal is the same — give employees dependable support without requiring every type of ERP expertise in-house.
When an ERP issue comes up, your employees shouldn’t have to spend hours figuring out who to contact or chasing down answers. A strong managed services arrangement establishes a clear process for submitting requests, prioritizing issues and tapping into the right expertise.
With ERP managed services, requests typically flow through a ticketing system, where they’re assessed and routed to the appropriate resource. Some can be resolved right away, while others require deeper investigation or scheduled work. A dedicated managed services contact can help coordinate the process, keep your team informed and bring in specialists when necessary.
Familiarity with your ERP environment makes a difference, too. Someone who understands your system configuration and workflows can assess issues more efficiently than someone starting from scratch. That continuity is especially valuable after implementation, when a thorough handoff from the original project team can help avoid unnecessary delays and repeated explanations.
Keeping your system up and running is only part of ERP support. Employees also need to understand how to use the system to carry out their responsibilities.
Think about the first month-end close post-go-live. Your finance team may have practiced the process during testing, but working with live transactions can bring up questions about entries, reconciliations and financial reporting. Months later, a new controller might need guidance on the same processes, even though the system is functioning properly.
Functional support can also help with everyday tasks like reporting, data questions, period-close activities and figuring out how to use specific ERP features. But this value goes beyond answering questions. Experienced specialists can help your team understand why a process isn’t working as expected, identify opportunities to improve workflows and assess how proposed system changes could impact accounting processes or critical workflows. This added perspective can help you make more informed decisions and avoid creating new problems in the process.
Training needs rarely end when ERP implementation is complete. Employees change roles, new hires arrive and infrequently used processes are easy to forget. You might also add new features that employees will need to learn how to use.
Managed services often include application training, onboarding support, reference materials and updated process documentation. These resources can help employees complete tasks confidently and, in turn, reduce their reliance on manual workarounds.
Don’t overlook what your users have to say, either. Someone processing purchase orders every day may notice that they’re entering the same information multiple times or taking extra steps to complete a routine task long before a leader does. Your managed services team can use that feedback to identify where additional training or a process change would make the biggest difference.
Your ERP doesn’t stand still after implementation, and neither should your approach to maintaining it. Software updates introduce new capabilities and business processes change over time. Keeping everything working together takes planning.
ERP managed services can help with everything from routine system administration and configuration updates to planning for software releases and testing their impact on your ERP.
What’s more, release notes can run dozens of pages, and much of that information may have little relevance to your particular ERP. Rather than sorting through every detail, you can rely on managed services specialists to identify which updates matter and assess how they might affect existing configurations. They can also help determine whether additional testing is needed to make sure updates won’t disrupt existing workflows or integrations.
Not every new feature is worth adopting, either. For example, something that looks useful on paper could create problems with your existing workflows or reporting. Someone who knows your ERP well can help you avoid headaches down the road and decide which updates are worth your time.
Of course, this level of support isn’t always included in a managed services plan. Be sure to ask what’s covered when it comes to release reviews, testing and ongoing maintenance.
Once employees get comfortable with an ERP, they often start noticing things they’d like to change. Maybe an approval process has too many steps or your employees are spending hours manually entering data that could move between systems automatically.
These hiccups can also point to opportunities to make better use of the ERP. Some fixes are as simple as adjusting a configuration or updating a report. Others might call for workflow automation or custom development. And while your team may know exactly what they want to improve, they don’t always have the time or technical expertise to make it happen.
That’s where managed services can help. With access to functional and technical specialists, you can make improvements without having to hire someone for every type of ERP work. That might mean automating a repetitive task, building more useful dashboards, improving how systems share data or making changes to existing workflows.
Sure, there’s usually more on the wish list than time or budget allows, but an experienced managed services team can help sort through those requests. They can also weigh the effort involved and prioritize improvements that will make the biggest difference.
Suppose a finance leader asks for a new reporting application because your team struggles to find certain information in the ERP. Before adding software, it may be worth checking whether existing ERP reporting capabilities can address the need with a better configuration.
The same applies to automation and emerging AI-enabled features. As AI continues to reshape ERP capabilities, you have more opportunities to automate routine tasks, get information faster and make better-informed decisions. Your managed services team can help you evaluate which AI features make sense for your business and whether your data and processes are ready to support them. Sometimes, a small adjustment to a frequently used workflow can make a bigger difference than a sophisticated new feature that few employees actually need.
Not every improvement is covered by your managed services plan, however. Updating a report or adjusting an existing configuration may be treated as a routine service request. By contrast, activating a new module or redesigning several interconnected processes may require a separately scoped project. It’s worth getting clear on what’s included before any work begins.
As requests for ERP support and improvements pile up, how do you decide what to tackle first? Your finance team may want better reporting, operations may need a workflow change, and you may also be planning an acquisition that will put new demands on your ERP.
Many managed services arrangements include regular planning discussions, system reviews, best-practice guidance and recommendations for future improvements. A provider familiar with your ERP and internal processes can help assess the options and identify dependencies that aren’t obvious from an individual support ticket.
When you’re busy putting out fires and handling everyday requests, finding time to think about the bigger picture can be tough. That’s where an experienced advisor can help, bringing a fresh perspective on which improvements deserve attention.
Before signing on, ask how your provider approaches planning and prioritization. Will they help you decide which improvements are worth pursuing, or is that responsibility left up to you?
Modern ERP managed services go beyond resolving problems as they arise. Here's how they typically compare with traditional support.
ERP managed services aren’t one-size-fits-all. Think about what your team can handle. If you already have an experienced ERP administrator, you might need extra help only when workloads spike or a problem requires specialized expertise. A smaller team, on the other hand, may need more hands-on support with everyday tasks, system administration and functional questions.
Whatever level of support you choose, your agreement should spell out what's covered, how to get help when you need it and who's responsible for what. Getting those details straight upfront can save a lot of confusion later.
What to clarify in your agreement:
This is where the fine print matters. Having a managed services plan doesn’t necessarily mean you have unlimited access to ERP experts, so it’s important to understand what you’re paying for and how you can use that support.
The right plan depends on where you need the most help today and how your needs may change as your business grows. Being clear about those priorities upfront will help you get more value from your managed services arrangement.
Need help putting the right ERP support in place? Our managed IT services and ERP experts can help you determine what services to include, how to structure your plan and how to make the most of your ERP investment.
Get a complimentary 30-minute consultation with one of our Managed IT Services experts to see how we can help you focus on growth, not glitches.
