A major tool for business management, the term ERP has entered the business world. Companies are encouraged to equip themselves to review their pre-existing management processes without explaining why or how. Hence this is an opportunity to take stock of the operation of an ERP system and all the benefits it brings!
A unique management software
Where each department of a company worked with its own software and its own database, ERP software would come to standardize the processes by deploying a single and centralized system. From its French name PGI (Integrated Management Software), ERP is a management tool that integrates all operational resources of a company, thus making it possible to coordinate all its activities. Similar to a puzzle, it nests separate modules that are both interconnected and linked to the same database. This system includes:
- stock management
- Human Resource Management
- delivery management
- Purchase and Purchase Management
- accounting management
- e.t.c
Advantages in growth strategy
The fact of being able to plan various management tasks more simply, more quickly and more efficiently will have a long-term impact on productivity and company growth as well.
- Different departments no longer have to enter the same data multiple times, this will avoid duplication and errors while saving valuable time for teams, the time they can devote to other tasks.
- As information is shared and updated in real time, customer and supplier relationships can be handled more efficiently and individually.
- The speed of information makes it possible to speed up the supply and procurement processes and, therefore, productivity in the long run.
- ERP provides global visibility on its activity, making it possible to better identify its strengths and weaknesses and make necessary adaptations.
Of course, all this is possible only if the ERP software is integrated into the IT system and all the teams are trained in its use. Implementing an ERP system requires not only time, but also money and personnel. The initial stage of integration of such a system involves preparing a balance sheet of the company’s needs and expenses, in order to identify and formalize the needs and stakes. On this basis and based on the analysis of the already existing processes, the most suitable ERP for the company’s activities and its technical infrastructure can be selected.
No need to buy software
On the ERP market, there are many solutions available to companies. The most common are General ERP, Specialized ERP, Open Source ERP and SaaS ERP. These last two solutions have their own peculiarities: while open source ERP is free and therefore does not require the acquisition of a subscription or license to use, SaaS ERP is based on the cloud and involves obtaining software in return. Subscription from a supplier. In any case, the company won’t have to buy the software, making them an especially popular solution for small and medium-sized businesses.
In the case of cloud ERP, all the data is stored in the provider’s cloud and is accessible to the users through the web using username and password. Further, the fact that the software is hosted on the service provider’s server and not the company’s server, makes the service provider responsible for technical deployment, maintenance of the ERP, but also for the follow-up of necessary updates. Good job Being able to access an always-up-to-date version of the software from a simple Internet connection makes this solution particularly mobile and interesting, and even more so if we consider that in 2021, on average, every Week 22% of employees teleworked, ie. One in five employees!