The Benefits of ERP Software and Apps

It’s pretty hard to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you’re going. And in order to progress toward a goal, you need a plan. Any business that wants to scale and grow in a healthy way takes time to plan its direction and allocate resources. While there is a little bit of timing and luck involved in the early stages of a business, there is rarely long-term success and continual growth without a deep understanding of the business and a concrete plan for growth.

Everything from funds allocation to annual and quarterly key focus areas is planned. Managing core business processes around an inspiring vision is a recipe for success. But enterprise resource planning can be much more complex than that for many in management positions. Fortunately, there are software solutions and apps to support your efforts. ERP software will help you understand your business and plan your way toward a prosperous future.

ERP software, also known as enterprise resource planning software, is an application that enables a business to see every facet of its enterprise in order to improve and manage processes and grow and scale effectively. Many ERP software solutions enable enterprises to manage and monitor core business processes in real time.

ERP software brings together information and data from multiple processes onto one platform, in many cases offering a customizable solution that helps businesses grow. The best ERP software helps enterprises plan their future and allocate funds and resources in the best way possible to experience accelerated growth.

There are a number of benefits of ERP software. The advantages, in fact, are so numerous that it’s difficult to produce an exhaustive list. While the benefits are plentiful, here are just a handful.

1. Consolidation of business processes across an organization
2. Better cross-department communication
3. Greater control over costs and savings
4. Quicker task completion
5. Improved planning
6. Enhanced data security
7. Greater employee satisfaction
8. Improved customer acquisition

 

1. Consolidation of business processes across an organization

As organizations grow, the way the business runs can become decentralized. For example, unique systems and processes may be used in each different department, and organizational silos can result. When this happens, it can be hard to quickly gain a holistic view of business processes. Without one centralized hub or established process, it’s very difficult to evaluate where your organization stands and determine where you’re going.

 

2. Better cross-department communication

In some large organizations, each department has its own way of tracking successes and running processes. While some autonomy and customization may be beneficial, an ERP that brings data together from many departments is very helpful. When employees from one department are able to easily see the data from another, they can gain a deeper understanding of processes. When processes are understood, communication is enhanced and greater cohesiveness is achieved between departments.

 

3. Greater control over costs and savings

It’s difficult to see where you stand financially if you can’t see all of your financials in one place. With the right ERP software, you can bring together all the relevant financial information onto one platform. Great visibility gives you a deep understanding of and greater control over funds. ERP software makes it simple to see where you can cut costs and where you should allocate additional funds.

 

4. Quicker task completion

Some business tasks require a lot of information from many different sources. ERP software pulls together several different pieces of data, which are then easily accessible. Less time spent searching for information means employees can complete tasks more quickly.

 

5. Improved planning

In order to make a plan, you need all of the facts readily available in one place. ERP software pulls together all you’ll need to make informed decisions for the direction of your business. Spend less time searching for data and information, and more time developing growth strategies.

 

6. Enhanced data security

When you’re trying to grow a company, the last thing you want is a data breach. Security breaches can be particularly troublesome when sensitive customer data is involved. ERP software helps you see a holistic view of your stored data, enabling you to determine which data is housed in the cloud and which is stored on premises. You can also get a better idea of which safety measures you should implement to keep your customers’ data safe.

7. Greater employee satisfaction

Happy employees are the lifeblood of your organization. They lead to satisfied customers. It’s no surprise, then, that 70% of IT leaders say employee satisfaction scores are a critically or very important KPI. ERP software takes away much of the stress and uncertainty that come with running a business. It also helps accomplish tedious tasks that are prone to human error. Happy employees are free to serve customers instead of focusing on menial jobs. All departments benefit from smart automation. That said, the automation of mundane processes and access to quick data are particularly helpful for the sales department. Research shows that sales reps spend only one-third of their time actually selling, as the rest is devoted to other tasks.

 

8. Improved customer acquisition

Employees aren’t the only ones who want consolidated data and systems. Potential clients want it also. In fact, 75% of business buyers say connected processes — across marketing, sales, and service interactions — are very important to winning their business.

With a basic idea of what ERP software is, what it does, and some of its benefits, it’s helpful to also explore some ERP software examples. Be sure that when looking for ERP software, you find a solution that is best tailored to your industry. While one ERP might be best for manufacturing and distribution businesses, another may be better suited to companies in the services industry. Also, many of the best ERP software solutions are integrated with and built on a CRM platform. The Salesforce Platform, for one, hosts a number of ERP software solutions, available through AppExchange. Below are some of the ERP solutions on the Salesforce Platform.

There are a number of ERP software solutions available on Salesforce AppExchange. While you should determine the best option to fit your individual business needs, here are some ERP examples:

 

Rootstock Cloud ERP

 

Rootstock Cloud ERP for Manufacturing, Inventory, Distribution & Supply Chain is a good offering for certain enterprises. It unifies Salesforce CRM with Rootstock ERP on one platform. Rootstock aims to create a personalized customer experience by integrating a number of business processes and giving companies the ability to better understand and serve their clientele.

 

Aqxolt ERP

 

Aqxolt ERP for Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Service Industry is an efficient and intuitive ERP solution for growing businesses. This ERP is designed to organize outbound and inbound logistics with ease, organize work orders, maintain balance sheets, and more.

 

AscentERP

 

AscentERP helps companies monitor inventory, sales orders, shipping, and more. AscentERP adapts to its customers’ unique needs and prides itself on being the first 100% native ERP solution on the Salesforce Platform.