Modern ERP: how to choose one you will not have to replace in a few years

When we choose a new car or an appliance, the price-performance ratio almost always wins the decision: a set of features at a reasonable price, naturally with the expectation that the product will run trouble-free for as long as possible. Nobody plans to replace their washing machine, TV or car in a year.

We will look at the business information system through the same lens. Unfortunately, you cannot buy one on a second-hand marketplace. That makes it all the more important to consider long-term sustainability and the protection of your investment.

So what are the basic requirements for a modern ERP?

A cloud solution

Cloud software, or software as a service (SaaS), is nothing new. It supports more efficient workflows, saves time, lowers the total cost of ownership and helps companies transform the way they work by letting users work from anywhere.

Since many companies have already formally introduced hybrid or fully remote working policies, moving ERP applications to the cloud is becoming the standard for ensuring business continuity.

A fully mobile solution

Mobile ERP has become a necessity because of the rise of remote and hybrid working cultures in recent years. The demand for fully-fledged mobile business applications is therefore growing. Mobile ERP provides permanent remote access to real-time data and an overview of all critical workflows.

Trouble-free availability of an app-based ERP system "anytime and anywhere" is essential. It creates a high degree of synergy between teams, which has a positive impact on productivity, agility and communication.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)

Automation through AI-driven ERP systems is defined by many research agencies as a key feature of the fourth era of ERP. Much like the concept of Industry 4.0, the ERP ecosystem is expected to include not only customers and suppliers but also partners, competitors and stakeholders, often with interchangeable roles.

In fact, we are already at the stage where interoperability, agility and hyperconnectivity are essential attributes of ERP software.

Artificial intelligence contributes significantly to the transformation and development of next-generation software applications. Whether we are trying to automate repetitive tasks or to be proactive in solving problems, AI can help users identify and eliminate inefficient processes.

AI technologies, including machine learning, help companies extract additional value from the ever-growing volume of data. In the near future, companies will try to equip their ERP systems with intelligence in decision-making, from recommendations of specific immediate measures to complete business planning.

Continuous change

A modern ERP should be ready for the continuous changes brought by turbulent progress in technology. Companies have no choice but to use innovative and disruptive technologies to gain a competitive advantage, and that is the main motivation for adapting systems quickly to new challenges.

Summary

Many vendors are unable to respond quickly to changing requirements and technological progress. Having invested considerable resources in developing their ERP in the past, they try to get the most out of it and "facelift" their systems to create the impression of, say, a cloud solution by bundling hosting services into the package or moving some services to a web server. You should see through this kind of "feint" very quickly.

The same applies to mobile solutions: demand full functionality available through mobile devices. Naturally, the old architecture of some ERP solutions makes it impossible to use AI fully or to respond dynamically to the changes required.

Odoo ERP is among the most widespread cloud-based open-source ERP platforms in the world, with millions of satisfied users and thousands of development partners who constantly enrich its functionality with new solutions. AI and innovative practices play a significant role here, and their share will keep growing.

IMPLEMENTO has been implementing the Odoo ERP system since 2017, with the aim of offering an affordable, modern and technologically advanced ERP system for mid-sized and larger companies. We have dozens of successful projects in various industries behind us and a team of certified consultants and developers, with a strong ambition to deliver ERP implementations across the EU and beyond.