Taylor Swift + Travis Kelce + ERP: Collaboration, Teamwork and Success

These Lovebirds are even warranting news analysis by the Associated Press!

So, what do the melding of these two seemingly disparate worlds (pop music and football) have in common with enterprise resource planning (ERP)?

Surprisingly, a lot.

For one, both Swift and Kelce are known for their incredible talent, work ethic, and dedication to their craft. They're also both masters of change and adaptation, and they've both used their platforms to introduce their fans to new worlds and concepts.

In the same way, ERP software can help businesses bring together different elements under one umbrella, making the sum greater than the parts. ERP systems can help businesses streamline their operations, improve communication and collaboration, and make better decisions.

Here are five ERP software fundamentals that relate to the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce relationship:

Change is Good!

Implementing ERP systems is about embracing change. Both Swift and Kelce have used change in their careers to make them better.

• Swift has experimented with different genres of music throughout her career and was one of country music’s biggest stars before branching out into the pop world. Her bold moves have rewritten the music business.
  
  
• Kelce started his football career as a quarterback before switching to the tight-end position in college. In fact, Kelce had never caught a pass or blocked in a high-level football game prior to his position change.

A culture of change can be important when implementing ERP systems with the embracing of change leading to:

• Better communication and leadership
  
  
• Employee engagement
  
  
• Improved teamwork
  
  
• Fostering innovation
  
  

Change management is critical when considering ERP software as you will be introducing new processes, procedures, and methods to your way of doing business.      

Don't Fear the Past ... Learn from It!

Some organizations are hesitant to implement ERP systems because of bad experiences with previous ERP attempts or other technological and software implementations.

However, it's important to learn from the past to make the newest attempt successful.

Kelce and Swift have both learned from the past in their careers:

• Kelce was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but he didn't become a starter until 2014. Injuries that rookie year limited him to one snap, but he used the time to learn from the veterans on the team and improve his skills over the offseason to become the team’s leading receiver in year two.
  
  
• In the documentary “Miss Americana”, Swift relates how the disappointment of her “Reputation” album being shut out of the four major Grammy nomination categories fueled her desire to make better records leading to three future Album of the Year nominations.
  
  

Before choosing new ERP software or implementing a new ERP system, it is important to assess what went wrong (and right!) in the previous attempts because the axiom that “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” usually rings true.

Multi-tasking is Cool!

ERP systems are super at multitasking. They can integrate different business processes into one system, which can help businesses save time and money.

Kelce and Swift are both good at multiple talents and proficiencies:

• Kelce is a Pro Bowl tight-end, but he's also a talented blocker and hosts a popular podcast with his brother Jason, a center with the Philadelphia Eagles.
  
  
• Swift is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, but she's also a director, producer, actress, business owner, and successful CEO and executive manager of her priceless brand.
  
  

ERP systems can help businesses handle multiple tasks from multiple departments including:

• Connect data: ERP systems connect data from multiple business functions within a centralized system, using the same data to maintain a “single source of truth”. This allows different departments to operate with the same results. 4. Stay humble, stay hungry.
  
  
• Improve collaboration: ERP systems help different departments within a business work together more effectively by sharing information and resources. Employees in different departments can access the same real-time data, so everyone has the same information and can work towards a common goal.
  
  
• Integrate tools: ERP systems can integrate tools for allocating resources across departments and tasks. These tools work on the principle of defined time taken by a task/project against the resource availability schedule.
  
  
• Manage budget: ERP systems can manage and monitor the budgets of various locations with a single piece of software.

Stay Humble/Stay Hungry!

You want ERP software that stays humble – doesn’t promise to deliver processes it really cannot handle – and stays hungry with the flexibility to continue to meet your needs as your organization grows and changes.

Both Kelce and Swift are both humble at times and neither has settled for their initial success:

• Kelce often credits his teammates and coaches for his success.
  
  
• Swift has also spoken about the importance of staying humble and grounded.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize (bottom line)!

Bells and whistles are nice, but at the end of the day, if your ERP implementation doesn't improve your bottom line, then it's not a success.

The ERP needs to work in relationship with your company's goals.

Both Kelce and Swift have been very successful at the bottom line when it comes to success:

• Kelce has helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls as well as being an 8-time Pro Bowler and 4-time All-Pro selection plus holding the NFL record for the most consecutive and most overall seasons with 1,000 yards receiving by a tight-end.
  
  
• Swift has sold over 100 million records worldwide and just this month became the first person to be nominated in the Song of the Year category seven times in her career and is tied with Barbara Streisand with most Album of the Year nominations for a female artist with six.
  
  

While ERP decision-makers do not risk being chased by photographers and hounded by autograph seekers when they head out to the employee parking lot, they play an important role as selecting and implementing the right ERP software can be one of the most critical initiatives a business will ever manage. Reach out if we can help you in any way through this process.