What are ERP Systems?

Are you struggling within your organisation to scale your processes? Is your business overly reliant on excel spreadsheets that only certain people within your organisation know how to read and edit? Is your team heavily reliant on emails and phone calls to move projects and processes along to completion? If you answered YES to any or all of these questions you have come to the right place. Looking at an ERP System could be the answer to your problems.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a process by which a company identifies requirements across internal departments and allocates resources accordingly. An ERP System is an enterprise-wide platform that aids this process by integrating all of a business’ processes in a single unified location (“single source of truth”). In today’s world, ERP systems are a vital element for managing businesses of all sizes and in all industries. To many companies, ERP is as indispensable as the electricity to keep the lights on and the internet to keep in contact with their customers. Digitising the ERP process can offer a wealth of benefits to businesses of all sizes.

1. Improved process efficiency – ERP systems automate and streamline business processes, eliminating manual entry and duplication of effort helping you to work more quickly and efficiently.

2. Greater visibility and control over your business – ERP systems provide a single, unified view of your business operations, giving you greater control and visibility.

3. Improved decision-making – With real-time data at your fingertips, ERP systems help you make better, more informed decisions about your business.

4. Enhanced customer service – An ERP system can help you provide a better, more efficient customer service experience.

5. Reduced costs – ERP systems can help you save time and money by automating business processes, eliminating waste, and improving decision-making.

I hear you now, this all sounds great where do I start? Before you google what the best ERP system is for your business, there is something you should keep in mind. The implementation of an ERP system without in depth research and definition of processes can lead to disaster. The decision to adopt an ERP system should not be taken lightly. Gartner Research and Consulting firm report that between 55-75% of ERP implementation projects do not meet their target goals, with certain parties reporting no meaningful improvements and others noting >100% project cost overrun. Working together with LBSPartners we will incorporate a level of Lean Principles to identify waste and value-add in your processes. This is done with a view to automating and optimising those that will be incorporated to ensure you get the most from your ERP system. If you transfer inferior operating procedures to an ERP, they will remain inferior!

We understand that the term ERP Systems can send people into overdrive, automatically thinking of the expense, or that it is overkill for what they need. However, a new era is emerging and now there is an ERP System to suit all sizes and budgets. To find out a little more about how the new generation of ERP Systems is a fit for you read our blog “How to get the most from your ERP?“. So I hear you asking yourself how can the Digital Consultants team at LBSPartners help? We bridge the gap! We help you understand the technical jargon because we translate it back into your business requirements. We help support you on the journey by working with the technology providers to ensure that any software selected is suited to your business and budget. We ensure that the pitfalls of software implementations are avoided by guiding the direction.