5 reasons to choose an ERP and ditch single-purpose apps

Here are the five main reasons why small and medium-sized companies reach for ERP systems. Besides saving money, they reduce errors and improve cooperation between departments. The company and its employees benefit, but most of all customer satisfaction goes up. Still hesitating about moving to an ERP system?

1. You save money

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) unifies several systems that may currently be scattered across your company. From CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to project management, your employees have access to all the tools they need for their work from one centralised system.

By unifying systems you help employees use their time more effectively. With an ERP system, users no longer have to look for information in several systems. Instead of comparing the quantity on an order in one system with the stock level in another, you have this data neatly available in one place.

In a centralised database, information is easier to access. What is more, you save the time and money you would have to invest in training users on several systems. Your employees learn to operate one system instead of several different ones.

2. You cooperate better

The features of ERP applications vary depending on the product you use, but in general all of them improve cooperation. One department no longer has to ask another for data. Working in a single system gives access to the necessary information to everyone you authorise.

With this database you give your company a single source of all information, which reduces errors. Stop copying important information (such as an invoice number or an amount) from one tool into another. You waste time, you risk mistakes and you raise the costs caused by working with incomplete data.

Because all data is stored, shared and accessible within one system, you can rely on it being complete and correct. The same cannot be said when your team has to enter the same client information repeatedly into different systems. Without an ERP system, human errors creep in that a unified system avoids.

3. You analyse more easily

A centralised database of information helps improve analyses and reports. Because the ERP system records and stores everything users enter, it becomes an excellent business intelligence tool. Reports that could take days just to collect and prepare the data for are ready in minutes with an ERP.

Most ERP systems provide customisable dashboards, so management can look at any report with just a few clicks. These reports can contain anything from profit and expense statements to KPIs that offer insight into specific functions.

Access to these reports lets your team make better decisions in less time. You no longer have to wait for someone to generate the reports you need.

4. You raise productivity

With traditional methods, tedious tasks are unavoidable. Tasks such as generating reports, stocktaking, tracking timesheets and processing orders have historically taken up most of employees' time. Besides consuming time, these processes lower staff morale and open the door to errors.

Because the same data has to be entered into different systems several times over, even the best employees are bound to make a mistake. If you choose the right solution, an ERP system can automate your most tedious tasks. The ERP database eliminates unnecessary tasks such as data entry and lets the system perform advanced calculations within minutes.

5. You get happier customers

Managing clients has never been more important. Today more and more people turn to the internet for advice: what to wear, what to eat and how to live. As many as 84% of users trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a close friend.

The best way to improve client satisfaction is to provide client-oriented services. An ERP delivers them in several ways. Most ERP systems are equipped with a CRM tool. They can also be easily integrated and have access to specific data from across the whole system.

Along with contact details, an integrated CRM gives you valuable historical data about communication and work with the client. This information helps your team better understand the client's requirements and needs. Your employees find their work easier, because they understand better what a particular client needs.