Top 10 ERP Trends

At the turn of the century, ERP (enterprise resource planning) was a key focus for the enterprise as it was positioned as the solution to all manufacturing problems. This classification can have far-reaching implications. Fortunately, for those operating in the ERP space, a more focused and dedicated approach is bringing more value to solutions. At the same time, CRM and business intelligence are gaining in importance.

Here, we review the Top 10 ERP Trends:

1. CRM – With customer relationship management a direct focus for companies seeking to increase sales and decrease the associated costs, ERP purchases fronted by CRM are leading the pack.
2. Business Intelligence – Companies are focused on reducing margins of error, relying on ERP systems to provide operational data for informed decisions.
3. Market Stratification – Both large enterprises and SMBs can gain access to powerful ERP solutions on hosted and on-premise platforms.
4. Market Consolidation – Nearly synonymous with the ERP marketplace, strong ERP players will continue to acquire the weaker ones.
5. Market Tiers – Two-tier ERP structures are becoming more common within organizations as companies realize that ERP solutions don’t necessarily work in subsidiaries.
6. Revisiting Y2K – ERP enjoyed a significant boom when the turn of the century threatened to create a bug within every system. Now, many of these solutions need to be replaced.
7. Vertical Focus – Niche markets were a focus for the 1990’s, moving into one-size-fits-all in the next decade. Now, key vertical markets are a key focus for providers.
8. Hosted ERP – Expect to see this trend move up the list in the near future as companies replace their 10 year old systems and opt for less expensive, yet powerful solutions on Software as a Service platforms.
9. ROI – Running over budget will no longer be allowed and ERP projects will have to justify the investment.
10. Mobile Platforms – To leverage the full value of ERP, it must move to a platform to support mobile devices, such as the iPad.