ERP Implementation: Practical Considerations for African Businesses

Enterprise Resource Planning systems promise unified business operations, but successful implementation requires careful consideration of local context. After deploying ERP systems across various industries in East Africa, we've gathered some practical insights.

Understanding Your Actual Requirements

Before evaluating any ERP system, document your current processes thoroughly. Many organizations discover that their actual workflows differ significantly from what leadership believes happens. This gap often leads to implementation failures.

Spend time with the people who do the daily work. How does your warehouse actually track inventory? What workarounds has your accounts team developed? These details matter more than feature checklists.

Infrastructure Realities

East African businesses often face infrastructure challenges that Western-designed systems don't anticipate:

• Internet connectivity: Cloud-only solutions may struggle with inconsistent internet. Consider hybrid architectures or systems with robust offline capabilities.
• Power reliability: Factor in UPS requirements and backup power for on-premise servers.
• Mobile-first workforce: Many employees access systems primarily via smartphones. Ensure the ERP has functional mobile interfaces.

Integration Over Replacement

Complete system replacement is often unnecessary and risky. Many successful implementations focus on integrating existing systems rather than wholesale replacement. Your accounting system that finance knows well? Connect it rather than replace it.

Modern integration approaches using APIs make this increasingly practical. A middleware layer can connect disparate systems, providing unified reporting without disrupting working processes.

Change Management is the Hard Part

Technical implementation is typically the easier portion of any ERP project. The genuine challenge lies in people: getting staff to adopt new processes, maintaining data discipline, and sustaining usage after the initial training period.

Successful approaches we've observed:

• Identify and empower internal champions in each department
• Provide ongoing training, not just initial sessions
• Create accountability for data quality
• Start with processes that provide immediate, visible benefits

Total Cost of Ownership

License costs are often the smallest part of ERP investment. Consider:

• Implementation consulting fees
• Data migration and cleanup
• Customization and integration development
• Training and change management
• Ongoing support and maintenance
• Future upgrade costs

Open-source ERP options can reduce license costs but may increase implementation and customization expenses. The equation varies by organization.

Phased Implementation

Big-bang ERP implementations fail more often than they succeed. A phased approach, starting with core modules and expanding over time, reduces risk and allows the organization to build internal expertise gradually.

Common starting points include:

• Finance and accounting (provides immediate reporting benefits)
• Inventory management (visible efficiency gains)
• HR and payroll (affects every employee, builds familiarity)

Making the Decision

There's no universally "best" ERP system. The right choice depends on your industry, size, growth plans, technical capabilities, and budget. What works for a manufacturing company may be entirely wrong for a service business.

We help organizations evaluate their specific needs and identify appropriate solutions. Reach out if you're considering an ERP initiative and want an objective assessment of your options.