ERP Software
Get the best ERP software for your business. Compare product reviews, pricing below. Read our buyer’s guide for more help.
ERP Software Buyer’s Guide
Trying to search for ERP information on the internet can be overwhelming. Depending on the website you visit or the industry you belong to, ERP can be defined as a number of different things and/or include a number of different functionalities to meet varying business needs.
To get a deeper understand of how ERP software can take your business to the next level, you want to learn about the following topics:
What is ERP Software?
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is an integrated suite of business applications designed to automate the back office functions of your organization, including financials, sales, and operations.
ERP system packages include a broad variety of modules which are chosen to meet the specific needs of your business. These features will connect all areas of your business together to create maximum efficiency. By enabling collaboration and eliminating the need to re-enter data into systems, ERP software provides a means for better financial tracking and forecasting. Comprehensive analytics allow businesses to improve to insight and productivity by delivering reliable data in real-time.
For instance, by enabling sales the ability to access information about product availability, lead times, order schedules, and purchasing, sales employees are better able to manage the delivery of products and services to customers. Increasing customer satisfaction through increased operational visibility is one of the underlying goals of all ERP systems.
At one point in time, ERP software was most typically used in the manufacturing process or industrial companies. Nowadays, it is fair to say that ERP can refer to packages targeted to any and every industry, and can be defined differently, depending on who you are talking to (See: What is ERP? 20 of the Best Enterprise Resource Planning Definitions).
Benefits of ERP Software
Why is a centralized, comprehensive ERP software solution necessary in the modern business environment? What is the business value of ERP? Consider some of the top benefits business and departments alike have experienced via improved workflows and significant savings:
- Streamlined workflows and processes. Disconnected systems are inherently inefficient. Data may exist in multiple places at once and there is a time cost paid every time data is transferred between them. By providing a common interface and database, data is managed in a singular manner, allowing much more efficient processes.
- Visibility into workflows. ERP can speed up internal processes and also provide the mechanism to monitor them for continuous improvement. Transparency is a central goal to effectively deploy ERP systems. ERP allows organizations to consider processes from a more holistic standpoint to spot issues preventing optimization.
- Better financial planning and decision making. Reporting is key to ERP solutions. The ability to slice and dice data by region, location, profit center, employee, and in a variety of other ways allows decision makers to make more nuanced and accurate decisions about the financial direction of the business.
- Improved data security. Managing security permissions and access across a variety of systems is a daunting challenge. A common control system allows organizations the ability to ensure key company data is not compromised.
- Increased opportunities for collaboration. Data takes different forms in the modern enterprise. Documents, files, forms, audio and video, emails. Often times each data medium has its own mechanism for allowing collaboration. That’s inherently wasteful. Employees are more effective when they spend more time collaborating on content, rather than mastering the learning curve of communicating in different formats and across distributed systems.
Features of ERP Software
To discover which ERP options are relevant to your specific needs, you’ll need to know what feature you’ll need to implement and how you can implement them effectively.
- Accounting: Tracks revenues and expenses. Includes modules such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, a general ledger, and payroll for employee compensation.
- Budgeting and forecasting: Creates and manages detailed corporate financial plans, which estimate a company’s future revenues and expenses. Includes departmentalized budgeting, budget approvals, rolling budgets, predictive budgeting, and workforce planning.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Support sales, marketing, and service activities with contact management, conversation history, lead tracking, order histories, quote/invoice creation, and call center integration.
- Human resources: Provides management of current employees and aids in the hiring and onboarding process for new employees. Includes features such as application processing onboarding, time and attendance tracking, and benefits management.
- Inventory Management: Tracks all information about the items that your company builds, buys, stores or sells.
- Supply Chain Management: Manage the flow of goods and services between locations as efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible
What Does Your Business Need?
The scope of ERP systems is constrained by the variety of business operations present in the market and the ability of software developers to keep up with new requirements. ERP modules are available for virtually every task, program, or function that a business performs.
ERP solutions include modules that help with all facets of a business, but should be prioritized based on what industry your business falls under:
- Contractors and construction businesses need to focus heavily on the task at hand, and spend less time worrying about their back office procedures. Construction ERP software provides financial accounting and operational modules designed specifically with contractors in mind. Core functionalities include accounting, job costing, project management, and estimating.
- Manufacturing ERP solutions, or MRP systems, provide the necessary tools for your manufacturing company. This includes material resource planning, quality management, and inventory control.
- Supply chain businesses who primarily deal with wholesale and distribution trade need to improve the efficiency of their logistics. This includes improved order management, purchase orders for needed goods, inventory control and/or warehouse management for efficient stock control and pick/pack improvements, and tracking deliveries.
Best Small Business ERP Software
A start-up or small businesses that has outgrown their first accounting program should look to a small business ERP, which will grow with the business as needs expand. Most of the time, these solutions can be purchased on a modular basis, which means you can buy the ERP software and pay for one module, or multiple modules, and have the software priced accordingly.
Dynamics 365 Business Central from Microsoft was created by combining the functionalities of both Dynamics ERP and CRM products. Dynamics 365 Business Central is intended for use by small and mid-market companies, providing a scalable way to get the features your business needs to be more profitable.
Their entry level package of Dynamics 365 is “Business Central Essentials”, which includes financial management, CRM, project management, supply chain management, HR, and warehousing.
SAP Business One is SAP’s answer for small and mid sized businesses that wanted the brand recognition without the cost of their deluxe options. SAP Business One provides the lowest cost of ownership among all SAP products.
The comprehensive option can provide functionality to all your departments, such as financials, sales, purchasing/inventory, and production planning. The software is powerful enough to let you rely on it as your sole business management tool, and is managed through a large network of highly experience partners.
Want more options? Check out our list of best small business ERP software.
Best Open Source ERP Software
Open source software allows access to the source code, which provides new opportunities for customization, lets end-users have more impact on product development, and transparency elevates quality standards. An interview we conducted goes over the intriguing value propositions offered by open source ERP software.
Odoo is an open-source ERP and CRM used by over 4 million users worldwide. With 10,000 applications, Odoo can handle any business need you may have, such as billing, accounting, manufacturing, and project management.
Odoo is a completely free ERP software, if you install and manage the software yourself. Otherwise, Odoo provides online hosting and a number of paid applications starting between $12-$72/month.
ERPNext has everything your business needs to operate, from accounting, to human resources, to manufacturing production planning, and project management. ERPNext also comes with a fully featured content management that helps you create a company blog or website.
ERPNext has been successfully implemented into many industries, even nonprofits and healthcare. While it does have applications for everyone, you may find it doesn’t specailize in one over the other. It also requires a heavy level of involvement to keep it operating smoothly, and may require some advanced IT knowledge.
Want more options? Check out our list of best open source ERP software.
Best Cloud ERP Software
Cloud ERP software can be internally hosted or licensed as a hosted SaaS solution. Cloud access will allow sales staff and technicians in the field have access to important customer data, as well as let staff on production/warehouse floors see info about orders that need to be filled. It provides for a more direct line of communication between all departments.
NetSuite ERP is designed for modern companies who require cloud access and mobile-enabled tools. This works great for companies with multiple locations, as they can access the same information as another in real-time, wherever they are located. NetSuite is designed to support growing organizations, as it lets you add or customize features as your company grows.
Available features include financials, supply chain management, and human capital management. Common industries served include apparel manufacturers, educational institutes, healthcare facilities, and nonprofits.
Sage 100cloud is a great fit for companies looking to move away from simple accounting software. The solution is feature-rich and has been in existence for many years under previous iterations (Sage 100 ERP and Sage MAS 90).
Sage 100 has roots in providing strong accounting. Because of this, many of the tools to make your business more productive are rooted in financials. This includes improved budgeting and planning along with optimizing inventory with minimal stock outs and multi-bin support.
Want more options? Check out our list of best cloud ERP software.
Best Industry-Specific ERP Software
Many ERP solutions can be implemented into any business environment. From manufacturing to healthcare, one may get the feeling that their software provider doesn’t quite understand thier industry as much as they do. For these companies, we suggest looking into industry specific software.
Best Manufacturing ERP Software
Epicor ERP is specifically developed for growing manufacturers. It’s strengths include the amount of data it can store and analyze, as well as the automation it can provide when it comes to production. A top feature in Epicor ERP includes the shop floor control that can measure everything from raw materials to the final product. The software can be deployed on-premise, hosted, or as a hybrid option.
Want more options? Check out our list of best MRP software.
Best Construction ERP Software
Spectrum is a complete web-based construction ERP solution from Viewpoint (previously Dexter and Chaney). The web-based setup makes the solution easily accessible from a Mac, a PC, or a mobile device in the field.
Spectrum is modern looking solution providing a cohesive experience for your users when it comes into drilling into team reports. Viewpoint technologies integrate the office, the team, and the field, which helps contractors of all sizes to decrease risk, increase productivity, and efficiency and increase profitability.
Want more options? Check out our list of best construction software.
Is QuickBooks an ERP Software?
While not an ERP software in the traditional sense, QuickBooks Enterprise brands itself as an “ERP alternative”. QuickBooks Enterprise attempts to let smaller businesses get ERP-level functionality at a small business software price, and offers an easy transition from their more simple options (Pro, Premier, or Online) to a business who is suddenly in need of more advanced functionality.
The software can manage and integrate all components of their businesses such as marketing, accounting, sales, costing, manufacturing, and more. The software excels at offering advanced functionality of the modules you’ll find it it’s Pro and Premier version, such as advanced inventory tracking, advanced pricing, and advanced reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common questions asked about ERP software:
When Should ERP Software Be Upgraded?
Technology is being upgraded and replaced at such a rapid pace, it can be hard to keep up. It’s important not to fall victim to every minor innovation, and consider upgrading or changing systems for important milestones, or for reasons of security. When the time does come for an upgrade or even to purchase a new solution, you may feel overwhelmed with the volume of options available. Important questions to ask yourself include:
- Are the new functionalities I’d be adding necessary, and if so, how much training would need to be administered?
- Will these new features make us at-level, or even get a leg-up on, our competition?
- Do certain vulnerabilities exist that will impact our company’s and our customer’s financials?
Alternative, cloud ERP software includes routine upgrades and maintenance as part of the ongoing subscription-cost. While you may pay more for the software over the course of ownership, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you have the latest version of the software at all times.
What Are The Pain Points Of Using ERP Software?
- Replacing legacy systems. If you’re searching for new ERP software, it’s likely because what your company runs now is outdated. Older systems were coded in different languages and the software may no longer be supported by the original developer. The solution may have also been developed in-house by an employee who is no longer with the company. Maintaining support on this type of system is costly and exhausting.
- Daunting levels of customization. When ERP solutions first became a thing, heavy customization was a must in order to ensure the solution did what you want. This meant developers and vendors spending a lot of time writing custom customization code for your company, which was expensive. On top of that, any updates to the systems would require maintenance of the custom code. Over time, ERP systems have begun to offer standard modules that most have some use for. Nowadays, customization is limited to creating modules that will help you go above-and-beyond your competitors.
- Integration issues with other systems. Integration can already get messy when you are dealing with a cloud or mobile migration. Besides customization, one of the biggest headaches of an ERP implementation is the integration that may be needed with other systems. ERP vendors may push for their solution to be the fully-integrated and all-inclusive system being used at your organization. That’s not always possible. You may have a proprietary system that would be a far too time-consuming data migration. You may also have stubborn staff members who refuse to let go of an older system or refuse to be trained on a new solution. Before making the substantial investment in an ERP solution, you’ll need to have a philosophy laid out where you decide what integrations will be needed if any, and make sure your business has the appropriate budget to cover what your staff wants or needs.
What Are Current Trends in ERP Software?
- Increased use of Cloud ERP and Mobile ERP. While interest for cloud technology is growing over all, large companies still have a distrust towards cloud hosting. Our recent buyer trends survey found that companies with 50+ employees shopping for accounting software were 41% less likely than smaller companies to review cloud-hosted software.
- Artificial intelligence in ERP. A report from Nextec Group suggests that artificial intelligence can help advance ERP capabilities in years to come. This is by providing enhanced customer service through AI-generated answers, mining data during an interaction with a customer for further evaluation, analyze the way users access and interact the systems to create automated actions, and by using virtual reality tools in the field to let other employees interact and provide insights.
- Increased focus on business intelligence. BI tools are becoming more of a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Large enterprises are not the sole beneficiaries of the type of reporting and data that can be gathered from a valuable BI system. The above-mentioned buyer trends survey also found that companies with over 50+ employees were 70% more likely to need software that handles budgeting, business intelligence, and fixed asset management. ERP vendors will need to either invest heavily in providing a business intelligence module or look to integrate with some of the top options on the market.
