Why ERP Software is a Necessity

Whether a company is listed in the Fortune 500 or is an up-and-coming business, effective ERP software is a necessity to survive and grow, even in the very best of economic times.

ERP Software For Distribution Companies

Without an effective ERP software solution in place, distribution businesses would not be able to accurately track and account for raw materials, work-in-progress, finished goods, or products traveling along the company supply chain on their through the manufacturing process and to end-users.  Quarterly, year-end, and federal and state tax returns would be much less accurate and more difficult and time-consuming to produce without the functionality provided by leading ERP software solutions.

ERP Software Helps Accounting

With ERP software in place, all reports and year-end statements can be produced quickly and accurately, and then automatically emailed to the appropriate personnel.  Collusion and other white-collar crime can be minimized as an audit trail of all activity is maintained in real-time for periodic review by upper management.

All data is kept in a central database for more accuracy and accessibility, and leading ERP solutions include powerful tools for analysis of business processes and other accounting, performance, and financial reports.  Another drawback of not having an ERP solution is that sales staff can waste time on redundant prospect leads, with the result that fewer deals will close because they lack the real-time information they require to make an effective presentation.

With the recent advent of smart phones, social media, and viral marketing, many ERP vendors have integrated a mobile CRM application into the solution to replace third-party CRM solutions that had been supported separately by their users.  The result is perfect for salespeople in the field because they can have instant access to real-time information about clients, meetings, previous correspondence, and historical sales data.

With these cutting-edge technology tools, a salesperson can contact more clients, follow up on more leads, and close more sales.  They also become more satisfied and loyal employees as they earn more commissions and incentives.  Any company depending on new sales to drive its revenue cannot overlook using mobile CRM as part of their overall ERP capability.

Also, the release earlier this year of the Apple iPad and similar products all employees to do more work away from the office, and with wireless hot spots now covering the country, a staff member can set up a virtual office practically anywhere.  Companies not adapting these modern ERP software and mobile CRM software applications will fall behind the race to attain new customers and keep existing ones.

Improve Corporate Communication with ERP Software

ERP software provides the best way to maintain communication lines across all departments within a company.  Business processes can be streamlined for cost and time savings, and best practices for all company activities can easily be determined.  It’s too easy to lose focus and think of ERP and other enterprise-wide software as all about technology, yet, in reality, they are all about making people more efficient and productive.  Thus, without a staff that buys into every aspect of the solution, ERP will not have the expected impact on the organization.

Having an effective ERP software in place is an absolute necessity to compete on today’s business world, and the most critical factor to ERP success is a staff that makes the solution work in the long- and short-term.