Imagine if your favorite team (might be the Jayhawks, might not) decided to play without a plan. Just everyone jump in there and do whatever seems best. They might make a fairly good showing in a pick-up game down at the park. After all, they've spent a lot of time developing their expertise. The real question: how would they fare against another team just as skilled, but operating on a unified approach to the game? Say goodbye to that trophy.
Now let's talk about ERP.
Enterprise resource planning software is the play diagram, whiteboard, film study, and running laps all rolled into one. As discussed on Business-Software.com, ERP is vital for efficiency. And efficiency in your operations will help you accelerate past competitors.
Here are four prime benefits that any small or medium-sized business can gain from a quality ERP system:
Freeing Up Your Staff
Leverage your computer systems to track the details they do best. A machine can track transactions from quote to cash and manage inventory counts like a pro. This liberates time for your people to focus on more complex, more valuable efforts. This amounts to getting the benefit of a new hire without the hassle and expense of hiring. Or drafting another player, to go back to our analogy. So why run laps if you can run plays?
Unified Coordination
A solid game plan makes such a big difference because business is a team sport. Maybe a tennis player and golfer can just give it the old college try and succeed. Or maybe you've got a star player wearing #23, but as your company grows, the impact an individual has on the business shrinks. It becomes more and more valuable for groups to work as a cohesive unit. This kind of coordination is always a challenge, so you don't want to complicate things more by not letting the team know where things stand. More on this in a second.
Data Accuracy
It's becoming a cliche that big data is a game-changer. But no matter how much information you have at your fingertips, if it isn't accurate, it won't help much. A quality ERP system will integrate all your data, making sure that the folks in accounting have a picture that is consistent with what the sales department and the warehouse staff see. Your customers can have a clear understanding as well, which is something they are growing to expect in the e-commerce context.
Company Insight and Agility
The thing about 'big data' is that size is relative. Even a local manufacturing company can benefit from seeing the big picture of the company. You don't need terabytes of data before you can start finding patterns in your operations. A quality ERP system will help you monitor progress towards your company goals and spot emerging trends. These future-facing abilities are exactly what you need to take your game up to the next division. And the best software packages will grow with your company, maximizing the ROI.
As an entrepreneur, you need to think like a coach, addressing multiple levels of operations―from individual players' performance to coordinating plays between departments to monitoring progress through the entire season. Make sure you've got the tools you need to help your team succeed.
A Quality ERP System
"aACE has helped us streamline many of our processes. We have a snapshot of each project with many of the important details being on one screen. We instantly see our profitability within our projects and have specific numbers or data regarding many aspects of our business."
-Lili Hall, President, KNOCK
For more information, contact us today.
