Aspects To Consider When Choosing An ERP In Your Small Manufacturing Organization

You may have noticed that your business has grown significantly. You may also have an antiquated management system that always hangs, an Excel spreadsheet that does not allow the team to integrate all the functions of the business, or you even run the business using just papers and experience.

It is time to find a customized solution for your company. You maybe know the management software giants, such as SAP or ORACLE. They serve large companies, and such software is too sophisticated for smaller companies. SMEs do not have the same workflows or the same complex business requirements.

Besides, it does not have the financial resources, the staff, or the time to install these complex systems. That is why in this article, we share with you Oracle or SAP alternatives that can work correctly for your manufacturing business.

IMAGE: PEXELS

What Is ERP?

The acronym ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. It’s a modular software system that integrates the main functional areas of the business processes into a unified system. The primary purpose is to:

• ease the handling of information that helps to make decisions
• minimize costs
• achieve a faster service by centralizing all the information

The various modules that integrate ERP management systems are presented below:

• – Production
• – Supply Chain Management
• – Materials inventory
• – Customer relationship management (CRM)
• – HR
• – Sales
• – Accounting and Finance

When choosing an ERP, you should consider the following criteria:

Ease In The Use Of The System

The software needs to solve your processes’ needs instead of creating obstacles. Your staff needs to devote themselves mainly to their daily productive activities and minimize the loss of administrative time using a complex system. You will not need a specialized IT department to set the queries to get the required report. You must meet a solution that minimizes both the learning curve and the simplicity of its use.

Ensure That The Software Meets Your Industry Needs

It is essential to ensure that your software can meet the changing needs of your business. The selection of the type of ERP for your organization depends on factors such as the size of the company, the resources, and its processes.

You should keep in mind that you have the ability to integrate both with your internal members and your external partners. Ensure that the chosen ERPs work for your type of company. MRPeasy designs software to meet the needs of a variety of manufacturing industries. It serves industries such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, and many more.

ERP In The Cloud vs Installing It Locally

Today there is an alternative of installing the ERP either in the cloud or locally. Cloud services may involve reductions in computing costs; this is because you do not need to invest in infrastructure, unlike the need to provide a physical server for installation locally.

There are many cloud-based ERP providers to choose from, for example, a specific software for small manufacturers (10 – 200 employees) like MRPeasy. Also, updates can be made automatically, thereby avoiding obsolescence.

It’s ideal when looking for a flexible and proper hosting solution. Some companies prefer to use their own servers (also called on-premise). In this case, you will need a physical site to have specific servers, in addition to personnel for maintenance. It is ideal when infrastructure and resources manage their own data.

Centralization And Integration

It is not only large companies but also SMEs that develop processes within their organization. Organization data needs to be integrated so that decisions can be made quickly and in real-time. This factor implies that you work on a single database, in which all processes are interconnected. This will result in the ease of communication between members of your organization, as well as with third parties. The information is the same for everyone.

Investment And Operating Costs

You should always keep in mind that your SME will be faced with software investments and operating costs. Therefore, you must choose an ERP system that meets the following requirements: simplicity, flexibility, and scalability.

Today there are system solutions that exist which can eliminate the problem of high-cost licenses. There are models that present attractive alternatives that are based on the number of users for a given period.

SaaS (Software as a Service) offers a software delivery and licensing method of online access via a subscription. Moreover, It’s not necessary to buy and install them on individual computers. It is an ideal option if your growing business requires the flexibility of computer tools.

Choosing an ERP is not a simple task. ERP products for small manufacturers give a lot of flexibility and simplicity. The developers of MRPeasy know that there is life beyond SAP and Oracle in the world of ERP software. Maybe today is the right time to incorporate ERP into your company!

If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.

IMAGE: PEXELS