Why in-house ERP support makes all the difference in construction

A good ERP system will be backed up by responsive, knowledgeable support to help you get the most out of it. Strong support will help you realise the productivity gains in all business areas and multiply the system’s value.

Unfortunately, many technology companies will outsource or offshore their support teams. That has the opposite effect and ends up costing you time and money.

Here’s how good, in-house ERP support makes all the difference in construction and why you should always prioritise an ERP provider who can guarantee it.

Industry-specific expertise

A specialist ERP support team offers so much more than what you get from a more general product that is not designed with the construction industry in mind.

They have the knowledge to:

• Factor industry-wide material shortages into long-term resource management plans
• Allocate materials, labour and plant appropriately according to the needs of each task to avoid budget overruns
• Ensure all data needed for legal compliance is collected, maintained and submitted on time

Choosing a dedicated system like 4PS Construct means that you are getting more than just an ERP – you are importing a huge amount of knowledge directly into your business operation via our in-house support team.

Proactive problem resolution

A quality support team that knows the industry can also look ahead and proactively resolve problems. By preventing problems rather than just reacting to them as they occur, you will save time and money on your projects.

For example, quality ERP support enables you to:

• Identify safety patterns and prevent potential injuries on site before they happen
• Schedule resources, plant and equipment appropriately to avoid bottlenecks in the work
• Spot programme risks that could increase project costs early and plan for them
• Understand where you will be overstaffed in the future and redeploy workers accordingly

Combining knowledge with data and a proactive attitude means that your ERP support will give a full overview of your project now and in the future. This overview can help you prevent problems before they occur and avoid costly project delays.

Personalised customer care

Dedicated customer care is the lifeblood of any effective ERP system. An in-house team will develop a comprehensive knowledge of your company and deploy that to help you increase productivity on site.

They will be able to learn:

• Where you need the most support and provide additional resources in those areas
• Your unique workflow and how to most effectively integrate with it
• Who your key stakeholders are, and who needs to be involved with what activity

In contrast, when ERP support is outsourced or offshored, corners are cut, and the support team cannot give you that personalised service.

That inferior, impersonal service means you will miss out on the direct and indirect benefits that quality ERP support guarantees.

UK-based support

Having that in-house support based in the UK brings even more benefits to your project and company. They are in the same time zone and will respond promptly, avoiding the delays that can create bottlenecks on site and in the office.

That convenience offers you:

• Operational continuity to make your project more resilient and less vulnerable to disruption
• Improved team confidence in the ERP system to encourage adoption
• No delays when it comes to managing urgent issues

Additionally, ERP support based in the UK provides further indirect benefits. For example, they know the standards for customer care you expect, limiting the possibility of misunderstandings that can cost time and money.

They also have a deeper knowledge of local regulations and are familiar with how to ensure you comply with them.

Long-term relationships and a higher level of customer satisfaction

Choosing an ERP provider which offers in-house UK-based support leads to an invaluable level of customer satisfaction.

Poor ERP support comes with a range of hidden costs that can even make it worse than having no ERP support; however, the opposite is true when you have strong ERP support.

In-house ERP support offers unique value and can make all the difference for your project. High levels of responsiveness, strong industry knowledge and customer satisfaction will multiply your benefits from your construction ERP system.

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