How do you know when your company needs Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software? We have been asked this question many times. The answer contains several different parts. First, there may be apprehension about ERP because people don’t what modern ERP platform is all about. Some prospective clients reflexively say, “No. I don’t need anything that complex!” When they hear “ERP,” they imagine some massive “heavy iron” system used for coordinating shipping containers and robotic assembly lines.
Then, there’s apprehension, often well-founded, about the idea doing a massive “rip and replace” of existing systems. Both concerns are understandable but no longer relevant. Modern ERP solutions are cloud-based, require lightweight administration and flex easily to adapt to a wide variety of business requirements.
The other sign that a company needs ERP tends to arise from a vague feeling that a company could be doing more to reach its potential. Something’s holding the business back. We have had this conversation so frequently… a manager will say to us, “We have great people, a great product. We have the customers and the distribution. Why aren’t we growing faster?” The answer is, at least part, related to software.
Businesses typically work with the software until the tools starting holding the company back. In our experience, a business might have an old accounting system, a warehouse system that works but doesn’t connect to anything, a sales management system that’s also an island unto itself. Getting work done is a cumbersome and error-prone process. This slows down growth and contributes to employee morale problems.
Learn more in ERP 101: What is ERP and How Does it Work?
Technology alone won’t do it, but…
Technology alone cannot make a company grow or thrive. However, as we have seen with our customers, the right technology, deployed intelligently and in alignment with good strategy, can be truly transformative. ERP enables you to take control of your business through adaptable automated workflow. It integrates different areas of the business, e.g. warehouse and sales in a single platform. It helps you “keep your finger on the pulse” of the business with real time reporting and visualization of critical data points like period-over-period growth in sales orders.
ERP helps you play to your strengths. Let’s say you have a strategy based on offering best-in-class customer relationships. You outshine your competitors in the customer care department. Modern ERP gives you powerful tools for taking this quality to the highest levels. For instance, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software in ERP, along with specialized modules for field service management can help you realize improvements in customer care that further your competitive differentiation.
Your people also benefit from ERP, which should, in turn, drive the business forward. Modern ERPs are good at providing your employees with intuitive, automated workflows that make people more productive. With mobility, a modern ERP lets your people work from wherever they want on any device.
Acumatica Cloud ERP
We work with Acumatica cloud ERP. Acumatica is renowned for delivering a complete set of business software applications. These include dashboards, reporting tools, centralized security and integrated document management. It also comes with powerful customization tools. With Acumatica, you can positively affect your bottom line because your team is able to do more in less time— and do so more accurately than they could before. It’s a mobile solution, too, with anywhere/anytime capabilities. Acumatica’s unlimited users lets you choose who gets access and to what.
Do you know think you might need an ERP solution? Let us work with you to unlock the cloud ERP opportunity for you. As a Gold Certified Acumatica Partner, we have the experience to work with you in the quick realization of the benefits and opportunities of cloud ERP in your company. Contact us to learn more.