You go to the dentist pretty much every 6 months, right? Not really because you love it, but because it is an necessary activity that ensures you strong and healthy teeth for the rest of your life.
In a lot of ways you can compare your dentist visits with ERP upgrades: It is not enjoyable; it ends up costing money that you don’t really want to spend; it hurts sometimes – but afterwards you feel better and you understand the difference between going every 6 months and every 3 years.
So, while not really arguing for upgrades every 6 months, I strongly encourage all companies to see the ERP investment as an initial cost + an ongoing maintenance cost. The longer you shy away from keeping your system relevant (or your teeth clean) – the more expensive and painful the next visit will be.
That’s why we at Catapult so strongly believe in including ERP upgrades into our offering – Managed Services – where we help you ensure that long term you take proper care of your systems. You invested in the right software and you engaged with a service provider that will invest the time in maintaining and understanding your system. Now, part of your responsibility is a willingness to stay up to date, and that often means upgrades.
The fact that a lot of ERP vendors have started to lean against more frequent system releases will make keeping up to date easier for all. So, for your own sake, ensure that frequent ERP upgrades are part of the overall business plan. And don’t look at it as a cost, but rather as an investment (or a trip to the dentist). It pays off because it does not hurt… At least as much.
