ERP software is essential for a modern-day business. There are professional ERP software solutions providers to help with your requirements. With the breakneck pace at which technology is evolving, ERP is undergoing a host of changes.

The business environment today has become more complex. The level of competition is increasing daily, so are customer expectations. It is essential for businesses to utilize their resources efficiently, this is only possible through the integration of technology with business operations.

Let us take a look at technology trends that will revolutionize the ERP industry as we know it: 

Direct machine integration: This technology refers to the connectivity of computers with machines and other things. Sometimes called “IoT” or “the internet of things”. For example, sensors placed on manufacturing machines can tell the manufacturer’s ERP software everything about the machine’s performance in real-time. The foreman or manager views and interprets the information. He then schedules any needed maintenance during off-hours when employees are not there.

There are much fewer surprise malfunctions and shut-downs when IoT and ERP are combined. That means that fewer human technicians are needed and employees are rarely paid for doing nothing while waiting on machines to get fixed. IoT devices connected to the ERP system can create this kind of communication and efficiency in many different applications within the entire supply chain. This level of visibility all up and down the chain will make companies much more competitive.

Artificial intelligence: To understand AI in an ERP context, think in terms of its practical applications—things like machine learning and natural language processing. AI isn’t any one thing; it’s all the parts and processes toiling away behind the scenes to make something whole, rather than the physical or theoretical manifestation of that whole. AI ERP systems can recognize patterns and automate routine tasks, and they do all of it in the blink of an eye, giving businesses an unprecedented level of efficiency, functionality, and insight into their data. 

If the technology is used optimally, AI will use intelligent software applications to improve the internal management structure and create a smarter technology infrastructure, and thus optimize the business processes in each individual company. To accommodate the new technology, it is important that you are flexible and as a company prepared to review your current IT strategies.

ERP and CRM Data integration: Data has become more complex over the years and it still remains the fuel keeping most organizations in business today. Getting a consistent view of your business performance across a large enterprise could be challenging. Often, global corporations lack a single definitive source of data related to customers or products. And that makes it difficult to answer even the simplest questions.

Not all information needs to be available within five minutes, but certain decisions can only be made on the basis of data that is fully up-to-date. And that is a big advantage of ERP and CRM data integration. With ERP and CRM data integration, you see a unified view of your data, because ERP and CRM data integration software brings your information together, it can include data quality and the process of defining master reference data, such as corporatewide definitions of customers, products, suppliers and other key information that gives context to business transactions.

Cloud ERP: Cloud ERP refers to ERP software and tools that are offered and managed in the cloud, as opposed to the business hosting their system on-premises. While every organization operating today is different, they all face a common challenge—in order to effectively compete in today’s business environment, they need access to technology that helps them innovate, scale, and grow quickly. They need advanced, globally-connected, and continuously updated software tools and systems that allow them to focus more of their time and energy on implementing growth initiatives and less on day-to-day IT management. That’s where cloud ERP comes into play. As technology continues to advance and evolve, more businesses of all sizes are considering cloud ERP software solutions than ever before. This popularity is largely a result of factors such as cost, reliability, speed, and access.

Mobile ERP: Everyone is staring at their cell phones these days. Many people take laptops and other mobile devices with them to restaurants, coffee shops, home, and back to the office.

We live in an era of instant access to information, and today’s mobile workforce expects large-company software to have a mobile app. Apps give executives and employees access to real-time company information and customer communications. ERP is indeed going mobile to meet this need. ERP mobile apps let the workforce send push notifications, create an event, review and approve time, sales orders, and expenses from the local coffee shop.

Apps that are dedicated to just one activity, such as dealing with sales orders or performing customer relationship management, are common. Employees, from the warehouse to the customer’s door, have some sort of real-time information. Companies who implement this technology will have an edge over those who don’t because more work is getting done during the day. That means it gets done faster and customers are happier.

Conclusion

Combining ERP and Smart Tech solutions is a beneficial practice for organizations that want to standardize repeatable processes and increase the visibility of operations across the organization. The ERP system is used as a backbone platform to execute the main transactions and to store the essential data. Smart Tech solutions automate, control, and visualize business processes. As Smart Tech solutions are becoming more extensive and sophisticated,  the number of activities they can replace is increasing. However, to ensure successful use of the ERP and Smart Tech solutions the following considerations must be taken into account:

• structure of the data
• alignment of end-users
• maturity of Smart Tech solutions
• set-up of the ERP system

The continuous monitoring tool on the ERP platform makes it possible for the employees to gain insights into their critical processes and to turn these insights into actions by managing exceptions. This caused a shift from resolving issues to improving business process activities. Because of the standardized back-office processes.

Contact us today for a free Commercient SYNC demo, and embark on a journey of revolutionizing your ERP system.