Once upon a time, when manufacturing companies switched from outdated technology to a new system, it involved:
- a thorough study of the business;
- tons of interviews and documentation; and
- a lot of internal resistance to change.
Companies would start from scratch and build the new system piece by piece, all the while hoping that it functioned a lot like the old system—only better.
Sikich realized two important things:
- A lot of companies did not realize what a new system could help them accomplish, because their way of working was enforced by their old system.
- About 80% of the technology customizations for manufacturers were identical, regardless of how the company operated or what people said during their interviews.
In other words, a lot of manufacturers wanted the same thing from their technology. As such, Sikich decided the best approach would be to create a customized solution just for manufacturers that could be as close as possible to turnkey technology.
HEADSTART Is That Turnkey Technology
After thousands of hours invested by talented people who understand this line of work, we created HEADSTART, a working model of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for equipment manufacturers and distributors that has 2,000 pre-set parameters. It is a customized technology experience!
Think about an app like Spotify. You can customize a playlist anytime you want. You can create a workout playlist, a Christmas playlist, a calm playlist, etc.
You do not have to create the app or load all the music into it. You customize the last 20% based on your musical taste, but everything else is done for you. That is what HEADSTART does for your business!
Because we deliver a technology system that is specific to our audience, we avoid a lot of the change management issues that typically come with traditional, all-in-one approaches. Think of it this way:
HEADSTART, outcomes > processes.
We care about speed to the bottom line. That is why we developed solution to get manufacturers as close to turnkey technology as possible. At the same time, we understand that our pre-configured working system is a starting point. It is not going to be perfect. That is why we work with our clients to quickly refine the technology through three levels.
- Generic
- Good enough.
- Works great for us!
We do not pretend to know all the specific needs and requirements of our clients, so we make them stakeholders in the refinement process. The most important thing is that it is an excellent fit for them!
When client stakeholders participate in system configurations, they care deeply about the reasons why they should happen.
Additionally, they care about how to make those adjustments. This is why HEADSTART is agile and evergreen. It makes it possible for companies to keep their systems current with as little work and effort as possible, and it delivers the tools and training necessary to keep the software fully up-to-date.
Are you ready to take your manufacturing business to the next level and let turnkey technology work for you? CLICK HERE to schedule a discovery call to see how HEADSTART can get your business a jump start!
