ERP Committee at Gribbins Shares Project’s Progress and Benefits
According to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Committee, several elements of the company’s software transition are underway. The system selected is Vista by Viewpoint—Viewpoint provides construction-specific software for companies worldwide. For Gribbins, the Vista system will unify Accounting/Human Resources, Project Management, Project Collaboration, Mobile Functionality, Estimating, Content Management, and Service Management all into one program. The mission of the conversion is to strengthen the company’s foundation for continued growth, streamline current processes, and gain new tools for obtaining, analyzing, and reporting information.
The ERP Committee consists of Pat Wahl, Kip O’Connell, Joy Veatch, Marla Striewe, Stacey Forrester, Kelly Skelton, and Megan Knoll. Leading the committee is, Joy Veatch, who observes, “Any software transition is a complex process, and having knowledgeable guidance for the new system is absolutely necessary.” The ERP Committee hosted Viewpoint representatives at the Evansville location April 18th-21st for the first of several on-site sessions.
The Goal: “Go Live” November 2017
The ability to “Go Live” involves multiple steps. The first, and perhaps most difficult, is building the bones of the Accounting system. Veatch explains, “We relied heavily on the Viewpoint reps to guide us on how to best structure Accounting so that we may receive the most benefit from the ERP’s capabilities. After 3 ½ days of guided setup, I am continuing the process and checking ‘homework’ items off my list.”
The next phase is Operations, which includes process training for Estimators/Project Managers. Veatch notes, “The Project Management capabilities of Vista are very impressive and will be a true asset in how we can estimate and deliver a project to the benefit of both Gribbins and its customers.”
The final step is when the students, i.e., the ERP Committee members, become the teachers. The ERP Committee will train all Gribbins staff to properly use the new system. Joy Veatch enthuses, “I am VERY excited to be involved in this
transition. In my eyes the ERP will be a huge improvement over the current system, and should give staff the tools they need to best perform their jobs.”
