Are we too early to talk about a spring clean?  Not when it relates to your SyteLine installation; and particularly not in the circumstances that many businesses find themselves in now at the end of what has been another challenging year for some.

 

What is a SyteLine Spring Clean?

This is your chance to go through your SyteLine installation with a fine-toothed comb.  We work with you to review your setup, installation and data so that everything is working as smoothly as possible.

We look at your processes because after a while, they can become a hindrance rather than helpful.  With this, we are thinking about manual workarounds that you have added or bad processing habits that people may have slipped into.  Whilst none of these are particularly wrong, it can mean that you are losing out on some of the efficiencies you once had.

Not only do we look at all the above, but we also look at your data, security and how ready you would be to upgrade should you not be on the latest version.

Whilst this sounds like a huge task, we can complete the audit in a few days, then will report back with our findings and recommendations of what your options are.

 

Why might I need a Spring Clean?

The answer may be different for each business.  It may be that you have noticed that things are not running as smoothly as you expected.  Or it could be that you are on an older version of SyteLine, with many modifications and you are not sure about upgrading because of this.  It could even be that you have started to notice that spreadsheets are increasingly creeping into your processes.

The other big reason for looking at how your business is running is change.  We’ve all seen a huge amount of change in the last two years due to both the pandemic and Brexit.  This can mean that the way you initially set up SyteLine is not the way it needs to be now.  You may notice this because regular processing, such as month-end and year-end is taking so much longer than it used to.

Finally, there are a number of new improvements in the latest SyteLine version which you could take advantage of to drive down cost and increase efficiency.

 

Why do I need to do this now?

There is never going to be the perfect time to do this.  There will always be something that diverts your attention from doing this.  But what you must think about is what happens if you don’t do this?  If you are in an industry that has been affected by recent events, then you may find yourself being left behind.  In times of change, it is essential to adapt to survive.

 

What outcomes can I expect from a SyteLine Spring Clean?

This really does depend on your business, but we do see similarities across the businesses that we have worked with on this service.

Some of the issues which we normally find are;

  • Planners using spreadsheets to plan, even though there is powerful functionality within SyteLine to allow them to plan effectively
  • Personalisations which are not needed.
  • Out of date processes because they have not been reviewed
  • Data issues
  • Costing problems
  • Reliance on external databases or third-party solutions rather than using SyteLine itself.

These are just a small example of the regular issues which we come across, but you can see that these can significantly impact a business if left unchecked.

 

Why should I use Gradient?

We have a broad range of experience with SyteLine, with several of our team having used SyteLine in manufacturing, aerospace, and other commercial businesses. They are therefore uniquely placed to understand the problems you face from both an end user perspective and a consulting perspective.  We also have technical consultants who can understand how your modifications work.  We are also an Infor Delivery Partner.

Is this a risky process?

No, not at all.  This is a review of your current setup and processes, so whilst you may take us up on our recommendations, you are under no obligation to upgrade to an updated version of SyteLine.  The aim of the SyteLine Spring Clean is to make sure that what you are doing in your business aligns with what happens in your SyteLine system.  It’s as simple as that!

 

What do I do next?

If you recognise some of what we have discussed here in your business, then please get in touch. We would be extremely happy to chat with you about what are your next steps to being a thriving business.