User Review
( votes)According to research conducted by Aberdeen, it is evident that 96 percent of the leading 20 percent of businesses choose to utilize enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. This indicates the significance of ERP as the core element in contemporary digital enterprises, serving as the central hub for monitoring, automating, and managing end-to-end operations, unlike anything that existed previously.
Regardless of whether you are a startup venture or an established business that has yet to embark on the path of digital transformation, there exist numerous compelling reasons why incorporating ERP should be a priority.
Here, we highlight four key factors that emphasize the critical role of ERP in today’s business landscape.
1 – Enhanced Operational Visibility
As a business expands beyond a few employees, keeping track of operations and various considerations becomes challenging. Despite having a solid management structure and effective processes in place, the details of daily operations can be overwhelming.
ERP software significantly improves operational visibility for both management and employees. By consolidating all aspects of a business into a unified system, ERP captures sales transactions, employee hours, shipping, inventory, real-time manufacturing details, and more.
With a centralized data repository, businesses can create real-time dashboards that monitor key metrics and generate custom reports to provide a comprehensive overview of the business when needed. When it comes to analyzing specific dynamics, ERP allows authorized personnel to drill down to individual transactions.
According to research by Aberdeen, businesses typically experience an increase in real-time visibility from 6 percent to 48 percent after implementing an ERP system. Furthermore, ERP has the potential to raise this percentage even higher.
2 – Data-Driven Decision-Making
Cloud computing has accelerated the pace of business, accompanied by access to better data. From NFL football to retail sales, data and analytical insights now play a crucial role in informed decision-making. While some businesses still rely on vague metrics and guesswork, industry leaders prioritize data-driven approaches. Over half of the best-in-class businesses employ analytics software for decision-making purposes.
ERP significantly contributes to data-driven decision-making. According to Aberdeen’s research, businesses utilizing ERP are more than four times as likely to forecast and plan for demand fluctuations accurately. Additionally, ERP users spend 36 percent less time making decisions.
Through ERP, all data is centralized, providing a comprehensive and real-time understanding of the factors involved in effective decision-making and planning. ERP also assists in interpreting data, enabling individuals without a background in data science to make informed decisions based on data insights.
With businesses increasingly reliant on data, ERP’s accessibility to valuable information plays a significant role in shaping outcomes.
3 – Streamlined Processes
Standardized processes are crucial for successful businesses. Establishing and enforcing consistent processes reduce errors, exceptions, and inefficiencies. However, according to Aberdeen, 89 percent of businesses relying on disparate backend systems struggle to accurately track their processes, and only 22 percent have managed to standardize their operations. There is a clear disparity between the goal and reality.
ERP bridges this gap. By implementing an ERP system, businesses not only connect all departments to a centralized backend system for standardized process management but also gain the ability to track processes in real-time.
Leading ERP systems like SAP Business One and Business ByDesign come equipped with built-in best practices. Businesses can customize the system to align with their specific processes or rely on standardized procedures for areas that do not require differentiation.
Approximately 77 percent of businesses using ERP succeed in standardizing their processes.
4 – Seamless Integration
Software and cloud platforms have become integral to business operations. Today’s businesses often rely on a combination of on-premise and cloud-based solutions, such as financial management software, online shopping portals, backend team management tools, inventory management platforms, and industry-specific software.
However, integrating these systems for unified operations can be challenging. Aberdeen’s research shows that nearly 83 percent of business systems lack interoperability, and 78 percent of business data is redundant. Seamless integration is crucial.
Integration has always been a key selling point of ERP, and there are two reasons for this.
First, ERP reduces the need for multiple software solutions by incorporating essential functionalities within its system. A business running on ERP already benefits from interconnected data and systems.
Secondly, modern ERP solutions prioritize connectivity and integration. They offer standard methods to connect external software solutions to the ERP system. Plug-ins and third-party integration solutions further enhance integration options, and businesses requiring custom integration can develop the necessary coding.
As a result, businesses that leverage ERP have a significantly higher likelihood (over 633 percent) of effectively sharing data with suppliers, customers, resellers, and regulatory bodies, as reported by Aberdeen. The inherent design of ERP emphasizes seamless data integration and robust connectivity capabilities, making it a reliable solution for facilitating data sharing across various stakeholders.
Learn more about the significance of SAP ERP solutions delivered by Navigator Business Solutions, an SAP Gold Partner.
The post The Significance of ERP: Unveiling 4 Compelling Reasons appeared first on ERP Cloud Blog.
