An enterprise resource planning system is the platform where all the functional parts of your business converge into a unified whole. As such, choosing an ERP can be a complicated process. The best way to ensure you make the best choice is to understand the key features of top ERPs.
In today’s post, we will look at the top features you should look for in an ERP. Let’s jump in.
Flexibility and scalability
You already know how important it is to have a list of your current needs and requirements when choosing an ERP. However, you must also look into the future to gauge what your business will require 5- 10 years from now.
With a clear picture of where your business is going, you can choose an ERP system that is flexible and scalable enough to adjust to your growing needs.
An ERP that lacks scalability might serve you well for a few months, but as your business expands, the difficulty to scale ERP will hinder your growth.
A scalable and flexible ERP will have a high level of customization. If the system you are considering has a lot of limitations on how much you can customize, it is not worth your investment.
Key Features of Top ERPs include Mobile support
If you are like most workplaces, you allow your employees to bring their own devices to work. Your employees can work whenever, wherever, and however, they see fit since they can easily access their workflows and data through their mobile devices.
A good ERP should therefore be accessible through a mobile device. This way, your employees are not tied down to their desktop computers even when they would be more productive and efficient working on the go. For instance, your salespeople should be able to access their data from their hand-held devices wherever they are.
When looking for an ERP, go for one with mobile support. The ERP’s dashboard should be mobile-friendly and accessible from anywhere. This way, you will reduce downtimes as your employees can work from wherever they are. What is more, you reduce the chances of errors as your employees can collect and fill data immediately instead of having to wait till they get back to the office.
Seamless integration
A good ERP system should be easy to integrate with your current systems. Although it is possible to work with different software, it’s much easier to use a fully integrated system.
For instance, if you are using a system from Microsoft, it will be much easier to integrate it with other tools you might need such as Excel and PowerPoint.
Without flawless integration, it’s likely that you will find workarounds that slow your business processes. At the end of the day, you will discover that all your employees will be doing is using numerous spreadsheets and downloading data from one system just to upload it in another.
Such workarounds will lead to massive time-wasting and also create room for human error and inaccurate data.
Ease of use
In each area of your business, you will find that there is data that is necessary for everyday function and data that is not needed. Your ERP system should be customizable in such a way that each area of your business gets the most relevant data for its success.
Essentially, the best ERP is one that can present the most relevant data to the right people at the right time. This should also be done in a simple and accessible way. If your ERP requires you to create clunky workarounds just to contextualize and localize data, take it as a big red flag. A good ERP should already have this baked in.
Reporting and analytics
Modern-day businesses thrive on analytics and reporting. Therefore, your business needs an ERP with built-in business intelligence, reporting, and analytics if you hope to stay on top of business trends, and KPIs. There is no point in having an ERP system installed in your business if you will also need a separate reporting system. It is easier and cost-effective to use an ERP with built-in reporting and analytics.
Final word on the Key Features of Top ERPs
Every company has its own unique needs. As such, you should consider your unique needs when choosing an ERP. The features we have mentioned in this post will guide you in choosing a good ERP system. If you have any further questions on ERPs or need help with IT services, don’t hesitate to contact us.