ERP Modules And Web-based ERP Systems Apps Success Depends on Implementation

ERP Modules Increasing Popularity for Enterprise Solutions ERP modules are driving demand for web-based enterprise solutions that historically were dominated by on-premise applications. Software as a service, or Saas applications are gaining in momentum with smaller the medium size businesses world wide. The primary drivers for the growing popularity are the ease of use, robust features and affordable price. Additionally the significantly faster deployment, practically plug and play, for these web-based enterprise applications and ERP modules dramatically increase return on investment. Innovative modular system designs are spurring more and more products and solutions entering the market as well. A national survey reveals that almost one in five businesses in the SMB category are currently using a SaaS based ERP module or solution. Enterprise software applications developed with a modular framework that enables the additional or deletion of category enterprise modules such as ERP applications focused on customer relationship management, CRM, or sales force automation, SFA, are allowing businesses with smaller budgets and human resources to take advantage of ERP software benefits one area at a time and add on functionality to eventually build out a complete ERP system company wide. The ERP implementation group assigned to select and deploy your businesses ERP software system need to keep foremost in their minds that the implementation process is the key to success and that a seamless integration with back-end is critical to a projects return on investment. Implementation costs that run out of control with respect to time and resources can sabotage the benefits of an enterprise system regardless of whether the application was the optimal choice with respect to features, functionality, and software costs. In most all cases, such as the recent ERP implementation law suit with the city of Marin County ERP implementation and a leading global consulting firm, the implementation success determines the overall project success. Getting the ERP software integrated and deployed is key concern to IT managers and is a key the top concern of CIOs and technology managers when choosing an enterprise application for their company and why many managers are passing on web-based enterprise applications. Security concerns with web based solutions are another reason for aversion as many technology managers feel hosted applications do not have ample security controls. To offset these concerns, IT managers can take additional steps when implementing SaaS ERP applications. Two methods, for example, are the extract- transform-load approach and the second is the integration-appliance approach. To determine which integration process is the best for your organization to conduct a trial integration test with one data record for both processes and with multiple integration consultants. You may be quite surprised to discover that one consulting resource may be able to load the record up without a hitch while the others may not be able to accomplish the same tasks despite using the same methodologies. A web-based system that can integrate with your back end ERP system is only one component of the project. Your IT manager needs to access whether your system can also grow with your company’s strategic roadmap. It’s critical to have an ERP system whether it’ on premise of SaaS that can stay in step with your company’s growth strategy 5 years in the future. You don’t want to have to find a new solution three years from now when you find out your new system is not flexible of scalable to handle your growth trajectory.