This is a guest blog from Frontline Consultancy.
What is ERP software?
ERP is a piece of software that integrates the different departments within an organisation. A well-designed and expertly implemented Enterprise Resource Planning system enables each department to share information and resources by accessing common data, which is all held centrally. This facilitates co-operation, efficiency and synergy across all the different business units, and holds the company’s many separate functions together.
With most modern ERP solutions you are given the deployment options of cloud, on premise or a hybrid solution.
Much more than just accounting software
ERP is sometimes wrongly viewed as simply glorified accounting software with a few extra functions bolted on. Another common misconception is that it provides ‘everything but the accounting software’. In fact the latest ERP solutions can integrate all key functions, including financials, sales, services, CRM, operations, manufacturing, projects, stock control, and reporting, into a seamless solution encompassing the whole organisation.
Benefits of ERP
By centralising all the key information, ERP provides management and users with a clear, always accessible, constantly updated picture of the core business processes and how they are interacting. The latest systems make all the data clearly visible on a user-friendly dashboard. The information can be viewed remotely anywhere in the world by employees and stakeholders on PCs, tablets and smartphones.
This promotes overall efficiency, with more effective supply chain management (SCM). Real time access to customer data also facilitates more responsive customer relationship management (CRM).
Enterprise Resource Planning can also automate processes, for example making it possible to auto-generate production orders when sales orders are received.
Above all, it provides superior, accurate, real-time business information, enabling management to make informed business decisions.
ERP options
Two of the most popular and widely used ERP solutions for small to midsize businesses are SAP Business One and Sage X3. An expert consultancy such as Frontline, with over 25 years’ experience of implementing ERP solutions and tailoring them to different businesses, can advise which is the most suitable and cost-effective for any given organisation.
Sage X3
Sage X3 is specifically designed for distribution and manufacturing businesses, including process manufacturing. The fact that it can be customised for specific industries using Sage’s own ‘out of the box’ add-ons is perhaps its greatest strength. Sage say that their software is so flexible that it is suitable for businesses with ‘between eight and 2000 users’.
SAP Business One
With Business One, SAP target smaller companies with up to 250+ users. The software can be customised for many industries. Business One is used by nearly 60,000 SMEs worldwide and can be a lower cost option for many businesses.
About Frontline Consultancy
Frontline Consultancy is one of the UK’s leading SAP Business One and Sage X3 consultants and provide businesses of all sizes with improved efficiency and operating costs through specialist ERP integration with SAP Business One and Sage X3.
About Codeless Platforms
Codeless Platforms is at the forefront of rapid application development and business process automation. With over 450 global partners, more than 7000 customers use Codeless Platforms’ software solutions, ranging from diverse global organisations to the small local enterprise.
For more information on how you can transform your business through rapid application development or by automating your business processes download the brochure below or call us on +44 (0) 330 99 88 700.
