Is Your ERP The Right Fit For Your Business?

ERP software is an expensive investment and any decision to implement a new ERP system should be thought out carefully. This is especially true for small and midsize businesses who have been kept out of the enterprise software industry until recently, due to complex systems that required an insane amount of cash.

However, ERP software vendors realized the value in targeting small and midsize businesses and now everything from cloud-hosted ERP to industry specific software is available for SMBs at a friendlier price.

But how and when do you know if the ERP you’re using is the right fit for your business? We hope we can help you figure that out. Keep reading for four questions that will help you determine if your ERP is the right fit for your business.

• Are Data Errors Increasing Or Decreasing?
  Excel spreadsheets may have done the job when you first started your business but since you’ve started growing, your accounting team has found they just can’t keep up. That’s not a bad thing!
  
  What’s bad here is if data entry errors are piling up. If that’s the case it’s past time to start looking at incorporating a (new) ERP system and integrating it with your CRM. Every small business reaches a point when they need an ERP that offers powerful financial capabilities. With this also comes the need to maintain your data integrity.
  
  So, if you’re investing in an ERP system it should be a system that can keep up with your business. You should also be investing in a solution that reduces the risk of data entry and duplication errors.

• How Much Is ERP Costing You?
  ERP cost has been one of the most restrictive factors holding back small businesses from implementing enterprise resource planning software. Luckily, as ERP becomes more mainstream for SMBs, prices are coming down.
  
  There are more ERP software options than ever available to SMBs now. If you combine a cost-effective ERP package with a careful implementation strategy and risk planning initiative, you can relax knowing you’ve made a smart investment that will save you money in the long run.

• What’s The Benefit Of Investing In Cloud ERP?
  The emergence of cloud ERP has practically eliminated the concern of additional costs like on-site installation and server space that once plagued SMBs. Now, small businesses can host their ERP through a cloud provider, who takes care of all the server space and maintenance for you.
  
  Cloud ERP results in a much more budget-friendly option than an on-premise solution. It’s also a lower total cost of ownership for businesses who want a robust ERP system minus all the robust hardware that comes with it.

• How Cluttered Are Your Business Processes?
  The way things get done is constantly evolving as your business grows. Using the right ERP system can help you unclutter your business processes and model how tasks should be completed. With the right ERP, you’ll be able to establish successful workflows throughout your business.
  
  Implementing a (new) ERP system for your business will help you fine tune how things run and manage them for a long time. Taking this a step further, you can enhance this even more once you get your ERP right by integrating your ERP software with your CRM.

ERP software has diversified into a more customizable range of options and SMBs are no longer left out of the conversation. There’s an innumerable amount of options out there for small businesses who want to streamline the way their company operates.

Speaking of streamlining, we mentioned how you can take that even further by integrating your ERP (once you have the right system for your business) with your CRM software. If you’d like to learn more about integrating your ERP software with your CRM, contact us today and let’s talk!