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