| Recently there appears to be an | | | | - Reduce Operating Cost. |
| increased amount of interest in | | | | - Facilitate day to day management. |
| Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). | | | | - Eliminate data silos by creating a |
| Originally adopted by manufacturing | | | | single, centralized repository of |
| organizations, its main focus was for | | | | timely, accurate business data. |
| the management and control of inventory. | | | | - Enable more effective resource |
| Since then the functional scope of ERP | | | | allocation and management. |
| solutions has grown, and as a result so | | | | Whilst these benefits mentioned are |
| have the benefits and adoption by other | | | | significant they are only true benefits |
| industry verticals within the wholesale | | | | to a business if the ERP model is a good |
| and distribution segment, including | | | | fit for the company. A particularly good |
| those within small and medium | | | | fit is for companies that need to |
| enterprises (SMEs). | | | | formalize their business processes and |
| Typically organizations juggle several | | | | activates across multiple departments. |
| different business applications to | | | | These companies are generally trying to |
| manage the intricacies of their | | | | deal with multiple versions of the truth |
| business. But now businesses understand | | | | across the business due to their |
| that they need to stop wasting resources | | | | disparate systems. This prevents |
| managing these multiple "silo" systems | | | | managers from making good business |
| and improve visibility for better | | | | decisions. An ERP solution can help |
| decision making via a single centralized | | | | enforce good business processes and |
| seamless system. | | | | consolidate the information to provide |
| Most ERP solutions contain a range of | | | | an accurate cross departmental picture |
| modules to improve a variety of | | | | of the "state of the nation". |
| back-office functions, including: | | | | When considering an ERP solution it is |
| - Financials & Accounting: includes | | | | advisable to consider a single vendor |
| functionality such as general ledger, | | | | solution that provides the flexibility |
| cash management, accounts payable and | | | | and modularity of adopting the different |
| receivable, and fixed asset management. | | | | ERP functional areas. Implementing ERP |
| - Time & billing: includes features for | | | | within a company also comes with a need |
| billing/invoicing, time and expense | | | | for a cultural change within the |
| management, and Project/Job monitoring. | | | | organization. A 'lets do it all now', |
| - Supply Chain Management: includes | | | | otherwise known as a 'big bag' approach |
| management around Inventory and Order | | | | can be a far too overwhelming transition |
| Fulfillment. | | | | and difficult to manage. Just like any |
| - Employee Management and Productivity: | | | | software implementation the solution |
| Human Resource Management, Employee | | | | will only be as good as the people that |
| Activity Management and Administration. | | | | use it so user adoption is critical. |
| At a high-level some benefits that can | | | | When evaluating ERP solutions it is just |
| be expected from implementing an ERP | | | | as important to consider the quality of |
| system includes: | | | | professional services provided by the |
| - Improve decision making & strategic | | | | vendor just as much as the core solution |
| planning. | | | | capabilities. The successful delivery |
| - Improve productivity with greater | | | | and adoption of an ERP into a company |
| visibility and more automated | | | | will enable the solution to perform to |
| back-office processes. | | | | its full potential and provide great |
| - Ensure accountability and compliance | | | | results. |
| with auditable accounting. | | | | |