ERP (enterprise resource planning) software is a type of software suite tailored to manage processes, data, and other tasks related to technology and management in your business. It is a complex set of programs that will permeate various aspects of your business and completely reinvents the way you do business, but it is necessary for businesses because it optimizes various aspects of the business and can give the company an edge over their competitors in terms of costs and quality of the services provided. But, it should be evident by now that investing in best ERP software is a big decision that requires a lot of research and planning, and help from ERP consultants, this article will focus on a few simple questions you can ask yourself to determine how likely it is that you need it.
What’s the Size of Your Business?
The size of your business is the most important indicator of whether your business is in need of an ERP software solution or not – you must first realize where ERP shines best when handling a lot of data and helping facilitate communication between various offices and departments in your business – in other words, it optimizes bureaucracy and shortens the time needed to deliver services and distribute information. Of course, this is not its only function, but it is at the forefront of what makes ERP important, and if you can’t take advantage of this feature, you’ll gain very little from adopting it in your business.
So, why does the size of your business matter? Well, it should be quite self-evident, as the amount of bureaucracy, documentation, and management needed in a business is directly correlated to the size of the business. If you are running a small office with four employees, you probably don’t want an elaborate and complex program for management and data analysis, and you could do much better getting a more specialized software program for the specific tasks you need. On the other hand, if you are running a national company with offices in a dozen states or so with employees in hundreds, you understand how much of a headache keeping track of everything could be. This is where you should invest in ERP software to save yourself from a lot of headaches and save your business from a lot of losses.
One last thing you need to keep in mind pertaining to the size of your business is your future plans. An ERP software suite is quite complex and it requires specialized employees not to mention hours of training for your employees to get used to it, so your business will most definitely see a productivity decline immediately following the adoption of the system. That’s why it is worthwhile to plan ahead, and if you think you’ll be expanding your business soon, maybe that’s the prime time to invest in the solution reading yourself and entering new markets reinvigorated.
A new sort of solution that has become popular recently – small company ERP. It is developed specifically to tailor to the needs of small companies, but whether it is worth it or not is for you to decide.