Enterprise resource planning (ERP) has become an essential part of the business world, and vendors are continuously creating less complex and more low-cost solutions. Therefore keeping up with the latest trends should be a priority as you’ll be able to get the best of out of your ERP solution. Here are some top ERP trends that every business should know about.

Mobile ERP

Who isn’t going mobile these days? With mobile ERP solutions, your salespeople can access data on the go, no matter where they are. ERP vendors are now looking into ways to build add-ons and extensions to integrate mobility and bring it to the forefront, as opposed to it being just a secondary option.

In addition, mobile-based solutions often prove to be more advantageous than non-mobile-based solutions. This is because they employees the ability to access the information they need in real-time, and collaborate with colleagues, on the move – using their smartphone or tablet. This is definitely an ERP trend that every business should know about and be on the lookout for.

Cloud ERP

You might already be familiar with cloud-based ERP solutions, as they serve to eliminate the cost of hardware, and are also more flexible to companies who prefer managing monthly payments. Cloud-based ERP solutions give you the ability to scale up if your business grows, and scale down as your business needs change.

Placing your ERP in the Cloud also reduces lag times between applications, and empowers you to see an improvement in analytics and reporting. Experts predict that the cloud ERP market will grow rapidly over the next two years. So, it’s important to keep your eye on this ERP trend.

Social ERP

Not only is mobile and cloud ERP part of major ERP trends to look out for, but also the concept of linking social media to ERP is gaining traction. Features like chat and message boards can facilitate better collaboration and social media integration across all verticals is becoming the norm.

Experts believe social ERP might fully come into play if users can let vendors know their exact demands and needs. It’s definitely an upcoming trend in the ERP arena that is worth keeping an eye on.

Two-Tier ERP

Two-tier ERP is another trend that is becoming increasingly popular. With this strategy, a company uses one ERP system at the corporate level, while allowing its divisions, business units, and selected departments at different locations to use a different ERP system.

This is especially beneficial for large enterprises that may be running different processes at different places. This serves to meet the needs of all locations and can reduce costs, as well. Installing smaller ERP systems several times can, for example, be cheaper than expanding one gigantic ERP system.

IoT Pulse

Another ERP trend that you should be aware of is integration. Many businesses are now taking advantage of the ability to integrate their ERP systems with all of their business applications using Commercient IoT Pulse.

IoT Pulse allows you to integrate your ERP system (e.g., Sage Live, NETSUITE, Acumatica, etc.) with all of your other business applications, including Slack, MailChimp, Asana, Magento, etc., to help you automate all your business processes. This is a trend that you certainly want to keep in step with. Also, please check out our Commercient SYNC data integration solution for connecting your ERP and CRM systems.

To learn more about how you can integrate your ERP system with all your business applications using Commercient IoT Pulse, check out our IoT Pulse page.