ERP for SMB - Getting Started

28. July 2010 by admin.

I have been involved with ERP for Small to Medium Businesses since 1984. In that time I have seen a lot of great articles on ERP that are very informative and some even truly useful to you, the ERP user. What I have rarely seen is something that deals with the basic essentials of ERP. Another aspect that has been missing is a simple explanation of why new ERP solutions must keep pace with the tectonic shifts and changes of this new world order of commerce we know as the global economy. I am going to attempt here to put out a series of blog posts that cover some of the basic essentials, such as:

1.ERP for SMB - What is It?

2. ERP for SMB - What Does It Do?

3. ERP for SMB - How Does It Work?

4. ERP for SMB - Is It Still Relevant?

5. ERP for SMB - How Do I Proceed?

I almost wish there was another term for ERP since in many circles it has been beaten up as always being overpriced, under-performing and overly complicated. While to some degree this may be true, it begs for a question. Why is it that so many SMB businesses still buy, install, use and support ERP systems? The answer is very straight forward:ERP still provides a solution to the pain and problems faced by SMB companies. It is still an answer to the issues that SMB companies face every day. It helps companies make daily decisions based on clear, available, and accurate information. If you are an SMB manufacturer or distributor, you know how important this is to run your business, reduce your costs and remain profitable in this new “Flat World” where global competition is fierce and time-frames are measured in minutes, hours and days, not weeks, months and years as it used to be. Change is the new normal and the lack of it can be death to a business. Having accurate information about changing marketing trends can be as important as knowing your products. Spotting changing trends can be difficult but your data can help you if you know how to use it. ERP should give you a window into your data that allows you to see trends as they are changing.

Posted in ERP Essentials | 1 Comment »