In December 2022, SYSLABO joined the GRANDIT Consortium, which promotes the development and sales of GRANDIT, an ERP system developed in Japan, as a business partner. On joining, we signed business partner agreements with GRANDIT Corporation and with Nissho Electronics Corporation (the company name at that time), a prime partner of the consortium.
Drawing on our experience in building and operating core systems across many industries, SYSLABO supports ERP implementation from requirements definition through design, development, operation, and maintenance. We work to understand each client’s business and organization, and to build systems that help with daily improvements and management decisions.
GRANDIT, a Japanese ERP that connects sales, inventory, and accounting
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a system that integrates and manages a company’s core operations and information, such as sales, purchasing, inventory, and accounting. GRANDIT is an ERP developed in Japan that reflects the business practices of Japanese companies, with functions for sales management, procurement and inventory management, receivables and payables management, accounting, and more.
When each department manages information in separate systems or in Excel, the same content may have to be copied and checked, and it can take time to understand the status of sales, profit, and inventory. In ERP implementation, it is important to sort out these gaps in information and build a business foundation where departments can use the same data.
In ERP requirements definition, we check the actual flow of work and decisions
In ERP requirements definition, it is important to clarify the functions needed and which work each function supports. From receiving orders to recording sales, invoicing, and receiving payment, and from placing orders to purchasing, inventory management, and payment, we check the workflows that cross departments and organize where information is created, who checks and approves it, and how it is passed on to the next process.
Differences in billing terms by customer, how products are managed in each department, and manual work that piles up before the monthly closing are also points to check when organizing requirements. By understanding the work that staff fill in for and the exceptional processes, the requirements for the system and the points of the work to be reviewed become clear.
SYSLABO moves the discussion forward while sharing the picture after implementation with clients, using workflows, function lists, demos, and more. We aim for a state in which the IT department and user departments share the purpose of the implementation and the business requirements, and can make decisions while checking concrete screens and processes.
Using Fit & Gap to consider the scope of standard functions and customization
In considering GRANDIT implementation, we use Fit & Gap to organize where the business requirements match the standard ERP functions and where they differ.
Work that can use standard functions, work that can be handled by changing how it is operated, and work that is essential to the client’s business and requires additional development: we check each of these, and consider both standardizing work and meeting individual requirements.
What we value here is understanding why the current processes became necessary. Checking agreements with business partners, business practices, and past circumstances makes it easier to decide which mechanisms to keep and which can be reviewed.
In considering customization, we take into account not only development costs at the time of implementation, but also the operating burden, ease of maintenance, and the effect on future changes. We value both fit with the business and the ability to keep using the system for a long time.
Organizing data migration and system integration before implementation
In renewing core systems, migrating existing data and integrating with surrounding systems are also important. For master data such as business partners and products, inventory balances, accounts receivable and payable, and transaction history, the scope of information to carry over and how to prepare it need to be checked.
It is also essential to make clear which information is exchanged between the ERP and surrounding business systems, when, and in which direction. Sorting out data consistency, where double entry occurs, and the effect on work at the time of switching leads to preparation for going live.
Continuous support from implementation consulting to operation and maintenance
An ERP is a core system whose use keeps being updated after going live, in line with changes in the business, growth in transactions, and organizational changes. In addition to handling daily inquiries and problems, it requires understanding business issues, functions to add, and information to manage, and continuing to improve.
Drawing on the knowledge gained from building and operating core systems and on our cooperation with the companies of the GRANDIT Consortium, SYSLABO supports clients from implementation consulting to operation and maintenance. Understanding both the business and the system, we will continue to build systems that clients can keep using with confidence.
Please tell us about your challenges with core operations, such as implementing GRANDIT, reviewing your existing sales management, inventory management, or accounting systems, or how to proceed with requirements definition and Fit & Gap. We will propose how to proceed with implementation and improvement while organizing your current situation and the operation you are aiming for.
