ERP Maintenance: Step-By-Step Guide, Best Practices, And Cost Factors

What Are The Components Of ERP System Maintenance?

ERP components, aka modules, include:

Finance

HR and payroll

Supply Chain

Purchase and Inventory management

To manage these in one unified system, you need a structured ERP maintenance process. The main components of ERO maintenance include:

data backup

Regular Updates

System Audits

User Access Control and Security

Configuration Managment

What Are The ERP Maintenance Steps?

Here is a six-step guide for ERP maintenance:

Step 1: Plan a Maintenance Schedule

Assess system performance and identify areas that need attention. The software vendor likely has its patching schedule. So, plan maintenance activities around that time to avoid business disruptions.

Step 2: Keep a Backup of Data

One missed patch and your data can be breached. Therefore, always create backups of critical data and perform security checks to ensure data protection.

Step 3: Document Everything

Historical records can shape future ERP updates. Document all the activities from the start to get an idea of error or failure patterns.

Step 4: Updates and Patches

Install updates, patches, and system enhancements to address bugs, improve features, and maintain security.

Step 5: Perform Testing Procedures

Conduct tests repeatedly to verify errors beforehand. Ensure that the system runs smoothly post-updates and no new issues arise.

Step 6: User Feedback and Training

Collect user feedback to identify challenges. Also, identify training needs and offer regular training sessions to help users adapt to system changes.

What Are Common Challenges In ERP Software Maintenance

ERP maintenance may sound easy on paper, but there are, infact, various challenges faced by organizations during the process.

1 System Downtime - Maintenance activities can mostly lead to system downtime. So, now the users cannot operate it. This can cause loss in terms of resources (money & time) and delayed operations.

2. User resistance - Users may resist changes or updates, especially if they require learning new processes. This reluctance can slow adoption and affect their work productivity. Integration complexities.

3. High Maintenance Costs - Finding the right ERP system for small businesses is already not easy. Plus, maintenance charges can strain your budget. Because organizations have to plan for upfront costs and long-term expenses, including updates, support, and training.

4. Integration Complexities - ERP systems often need to integrate with other tools and software. Adding new modules or third-party applications can create compatibility issues

How To Build A Maintenance Plan?

To build an ERP maintenance plan, follow these steps:

1. Identify system failure or update needs

2. Create a schedule for backups and audits

3. Contact ERP vendor for maintenance

4. Allocate skilled personnel and tools

5. Monitor and Review

Benefits Of ERP System Maintenance?

The following are the benefits of ERP system maintenance:

Improved System Performance - If you keep your system up-to-date, it will perform smoothly without bugs.

Enhanced Data Accuracy - Maintenance helps correct errors, cleanse data, and update records to keep the information accurate.

Better Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Ongoing ERP support helps automate CRM tasks like follow-ups, invoicing, and order tracking. This increases customer satisfaction and fosters better customer relationships.

Increased user satisfaction - Consistent support and system updates improve the user experience, making the ERP interface more intuitive and user-friendly.

What Are The Types Of ERP Maintenance?

There are 4 ERP maintenance approaches - preventive, corrective, predictive, and adaptive.

Preventive Maintenance : It is a proactive approach that solves unarised issues. The main motto is to mitigate risks beforehand to avoid future system failures.

Corrective Maintenance : It is a responsive apprach that fixes the errors after they have occurred.

Predictive Maintenance : This strategy uses AI tools for data analytics to predict and prevent issues. It focuses on improving business performance based on employee feedback, business data, and process needs.

Adaptive Maintenance : This type focuses on maintaining ERP as per evolving business needs, technology, and regulations.

What Are The Security Measures For ERP Maintenance?

Every business operates on data, and to keep to it safe from cyber threats like breaches can be challenging. Worry not! We at Ekklavya Solutions have sifted through the best security measures for maintenance ERP. If followed, it guarantees safeguarding your sensitive data and ensuring business continuity.

1. Limit Access with POLA (Principle of Least Authority): Give employees access only to the tools and data they need for their job. The high-profile information must be out-of-reach. This reduces risks if a user account is compromised.

2. Use Strong Passwords and MFA: Passwords should often be hard to guess and update. Adding multi-factor authentication (MFA)—like a text message code, security questions, or fingerprint scan—makes the ERP security tighter.

3. Stay Up to Date: Software companies regularly release updates to fix security flaws. Apply these updates as soon as possible to close any weak spots in the system.

4. Regular Audits and Monitoring: Conduct frequent security checks to spot vulnerabilities. Also, set up alerts for unusual activity, like failed login attempts or unexpected file changes, so that you can act fast.

5. Back Up Data: Keep a secure copy of your data and update it often. You can restore everything quickly if anything goes wrong—like a cyberattack or hardware failure.

6. Employee Awareness: Train your staff on what to watch for, like phishing scams or suspicious links. Many security breaches happen because someone clicks something they shouldn’t. Go beyond the basics and conduct awareness programs and training sessions.

How Much Does ERP Maintenance Cost?

ERP system maintenance cost is approximately 15% to 25% of the initial ERP software cost per year. The total cost here includes purchase price, implementation costs, and operating costs combined.

However, it is important to know that it varies based on several factors. They are:

System Complexity: The more complex and customized your ERP solution is, the higher the maintenance costs due to increased support and updates.

Software Licensing Fees: Many ERP vendors charge recurring licensing or subscription fees, which can add to the overall cost.

Hardware Requirements: On-premise ERP systems may require ongoing investment in servers and hardware upgrades.

IT Staff and Training: Employing skilled IT professionals or training staff to manage and maintain the system is another crucial expense.

Vendor Support and Upgrades: Annual support contracts and version upgrades from the ERP provider are typical cost factors.

At Eklavya, we provide customized solutions for every business. If you want to reap the maximum benefits of an ERP system, then don’t hesitate to Contact us.