According to the studies, more and more organizations are moving towards customized ERP solutions. The reasons for customizations are clear. They benefit the organization to save resources and in return improve the natural order of work-flow in the organization. In the end, the organization using customized ERP spend less and are more productive.
But, the same is not true for everyone. Customization is a curse if not done correctly. There are instances when over-customization can easily hamper the organization and mitigate the profits easily.
To better understand why over-customization is a bad thing, let's list 4 reasons.
Takes Time To Be Operational
Every project has a deadline and so does any ERP customization project. If the organization fails to understand the sweet spot, there are chances that the deadlines will be pushed back. Pushing back the deadlines means that you are spending more and also not enabling the staff to utilize the power of the new system. This in all, adds more cost to the system and might also make the workers unhappy on the current status of the project.
Complexity increases with time
ERP, in itself, is a complex thing. Small or moderate customization takes time and zeal to complete. But, if any organization is aiming to do complex customization, they are making a big mistake. First of all, customization increases with time and hence can hamper the outcome of the project.
The fact that the human mind doesn't like complexity can easily make the project a tough task to execute. So, it is always a good idea to limit the customization to a certain level. Maintenance should also be kept in mind during the customization period.
Vendor Lock-in
The worst scenario to be in is Vendor Lock-in. The term signifies the fact that certain services are locked in by the vendor and cannot be accessed by the customer(in this case organization). This can lead to undue frustration and bring more complexity in the near future. So, it is always a good idea to choose an Open source ERP solution and do proper customization to meet the demand. For example, Odoo can be used by the organization such that Odoo ERP customization can be done later on. There are many companies that do Odoo development as well to meet the requirement of the organization. One prime example would be
Best practices out of the Window
Customization is a dual-sword proposition. At first, the ERP systems are best in terms of industry standards. The code is clean and maintainable. But, with customization, the whole scenario just changes. It can easily creep in bugs, follow the bad level of code design, and much more. This can lead to problems during maintenance and eventually level out the benefits of customization.
Conclusion
It should be clear until now that customization has its cost if not done properly. The key to success is finding a balance and improving it in the long run.
