If you own a small or mid-range business or manage technology infrastructures for a growing firm, you may be in the process of comparing ERP vendors and looking for a provider who can supply the system that works for you. The right ERP vendors are the ones who can help you integrate your back office management functions in a flexible, upgrade ready way that works within the limits of your budget.  As you begin comparing ERP vendors and rating them according to their product features and services, bear in mind that the best ERP vendors will be able to offer a high return on your investment and may give you the cost cutting advantages and competitive edge you need to stay ahead of your competition in a challenging marketplace.  

ERP Vendors

Comparing ERP Vendors and Finding the Solution that Works for You

Your search for ERP vendors may be especially important to the future of your business if your operations rely heavily on customer relationship management or if your industry involves a strong manufacturing, distribution or scheduling component. ERP vendors can help you control these functions and raise efficiency and productivity like never before in areas of supply chain management, inventory control, accounting, payroll, human capital management and a wide variety of other functions.

Before you begin your search for ERP vendors and begin comparing product and service offerings, you may want to complete a few preliminary steps that will lay the groundwork for a more effective process. First, complete a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of you current software functions and your current business methods for the areas described above.  Examine your workflows and gather reports from your employees to identify all areas of strength and weakness in your current system. Use the information you gather to create a detailed needs assessment, which can serve as a guide and checklist as you compare ERP vendors and product suites. The best ERP vendors should be able to offer everything on your list, but have the list in hand before you begin to view online product demonstrations and meet with ERP vendors and representatives.

The earliest ERP vendors provided the first integrated business technology solutions in the late 1980s. At that point, managers in the manufacturing sector were searching for ways to free their employees from isolated software platforms and better control multi-departmental tasks on factory shop floors.  Early ERP systems allowed all employees across the company to run the same standardized erp applications and share access to databases that could be used to control overlapping functions. These early systems were met with great demand in manufacturing and other business sectors as well, including non-business fields like university systems and government offices. But since they were cumbersome and expensive, they remained out of reach to smaller businesses for many years. It wasn’t until after the arrival of the new millennium that demand began to slow at the high budget level and ERP vendors were forced to turn downstream in order to stay competitive. They began and ongoing effort to scale and customize their product and service offerings in order to appeal to smaller business clients.

Written by :

Amy Cruz