Businesses tend to grow exponentially so does their workload and complexity of business processes. That is why there are several enterprise tools and digital solutions are used to maximize the operational capabilities and efficiency. The ERP or enterprise resource planning software is a centralized application software which integrate and streamline all business processes such as accounts, customer relations, operations, productions, logistics, HR, supply chain, etc. The ERP software is usually used to build a centralized information center where all enterprise tools and systems are linked and connected to the mainframe or a single database. The ERP software ensures that standard data definitions are use all across the organization which makes it easier to integrate all business processes and provide seamless data flow. Each business have slightly different approach to implement a ERP software, for example, the Government ERP software are different as their supply chain policies and contract lifecycle management is usually different than traditional enterprises and organizations. Similarly the banks, educational institutes, non-profit organizations and other industry sector have their own set standards and methodologies which are exclusive to their operation only.
The ERP application software manages all the data and information that flows within the organization to handle the daily operational tasks. This enables the business to increase cooperation and communication between different business departments to ensure everyone have full visibility of all their relevant tasks and operations. The automation not only improve data flow but it also help reducing the workload of the employees. It can eliminate various routine tasks which directly impact on the employee efficiency and employee happiness.
Key Features of an Enterprise Resource Planning Software (ERP)
The enterprise resource planning software (ERP) are the most widely used data management solutions all around the world. Businesses and enterprises in Dubai and all across UAE are using ERPs to boost their operational capabilities and to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their resources. When a business is deciding to upgrade or chose an ERP they found that there are too many options available in the market. That is why we have compiled a list of key features that a business must check while selecting an ERP. We always suggest our customers to opt for a customized enterprise resource planning software (ERP). The customized software development is very helpful for businesses as it provide more flexibility and control over the features and functionalities. Here are the key features of a modern enterprise planning software (ERP):
Key Features of an ERP: Automation
The automation is one of the core feature of any ERP, the question is not whether the ERP will offer automation or not, it will always do. The question here is how much automation and what level of automation an ERP can offer? A high quality ERP always help organizations in automating their business processes by automating daily tasks of the employees, by eliminating repeated work, by providing updated information and data to avoid any confusion or double work, which usually occurs in case of manual or semi-digital IT infrastructures. By manual or semi-digital It infrastructure I mean, the business processes that are either not fully automated, or even if the automation is done it is not integrated and synchronized with other tools and systems. An ERP centralized the information and data and utilize standard data definition which help innovating new features and provide higher levels of automation.
Key Features of an ERP:Integration
The integration is one of the most impactful feature of an ERP. There are several standalone systems and business tools that facilitate various business processes. However, the level of integration that can be achieved with a full-scale integrated application software that is designed to work as a single unit by offering dedicated modules for each business process or department. That is due to the centralized information center and a single database which is being utilized by all the modules/applications such as accounts, finance, planning, production, customer relationship, sales, inventory management application, etc. This also enables businesses and enterprises to track and monitor everything, and the intuitive interfaces enable employees to easily perform the most data-driven tasks as per their job roles.
The integration also makes it possible to easily access the data from other departments such as if the customer support department or complaint resolution team might also need the customer purchase history and other details, which are stored in other departments, but with an ERP such details can be made available to the employees without any additional work. This not only simplifies the employee’s work, but it also improve the quality of work and help improving business processes. Thus an enterprise need very less resources for the same objective.
Key Features of an ERP: Higher Visibility and Efficient Tracking Mechanisms
For any enterprise the biggest challenge is to achieve the highest level of communication, coordination and tracking capabilities. An ERP software help businesses to achieve that. Since all of the applications are connected to a single database or centralized information center, each system can talk to one another. For example, if there is a shortage of the raw material, or stock related issues, all concerned employees will be able to receive that information automatically without doing any efforts. And on top of that all this data is updated to the last second. Everyone gets real-time updates. As soon as any update is made in any application, all other application will immediately receive that. This way all employees get full visibility of all connected and relevant events and they get real-time updates which boost their visibility and provide them more room for planning and allow tem effectively dealing with the problems.
The higher visibility is achieved by effective tracking mechanisms. As an ERP offers completely automated tracking features, which track data instead of materials and on the bases of the data and information the ERP algorithms automatically analyze and share it with the relevant department and employees. For example, if there is a raw material shortage, the customer support team has nothing to do with it. Hence they don’t need it, however the sales and procurement department would be interested in that and so on. That is how the ERP improve employee’s visibility and effectively track data with in-built mechanisms and then it can also automatically analyze and share it. Similarly the ERP can track information and data form all other departments as well such as sales, accounts, production, inventory, and even performance of various departments, their employees and also systems and strategies. This can significantly improve the operational efficiency and help resolving a lot of problems more effectively.
Key Features of an ERP:Data Analysis and Reporting
An ERP is collecting data from each and every business function. It is very beneficial to leverage that feature for better planning and monitoring. The ERP software can track and log data automatically, this data can be analyzed by automated algorithms to simplify it and the higher management can also perform various analysis and generate customized reports. Which help them making projections, understanding the trends, identifying the areas of improvements and letting them a chance to get a deeper insight to each and every business function on both micro and macro scales. These reports and analysis can significantly improve the decision making capabilities of the higher management and provide them a chance to accurately monitor, measure and track each and every business process. The informed decisions are always less risky and tend to produce better outcomes. That is why the business intelligence data is gathered from each and every source possible.
Key Features of an ERP: Mobile Access and Intuitive UIs
These days in Dubai and all around the UAE the modern ERP systems comes with web-based interactive and very user-friendly UIs (user interfaces). The most commonly used ERP software comes with a web-based user interface which is easy to access and can be accessed remotely too, if needed. Furthermore the smartphone and mobile devices are also a convenient way to provide remote access to the enterprise data center while your employees are stationed off-campus or are on-the-go. All major ERP software allows integration of intuitive smartphone applications to enable mobile access. A customized ERP software will be able to provide a better user experience which is absolutely necessary for better employee performance and overall growth of the business.
Key Features of an ERP: Scalability
The business and enterprises tend to keep growing, which enlarge their operational capacity and obviously their operational needs. Upgrading and adding new features to the IT infrastructure of any enterprise is also a continuous and ever going process. After every two or three years, some department or some business function requires a new tool or system. This means that an enterprise resource planning software (ERP) must have to be future ready. The ERP software always support upgrades, customizations and integration with third-party tools and systems. Which makes them future ready and ensure a longer lifecycle. So, instead of replacing the entire ERP software, the enterprise or business can add new features to it, or third-party tools can also be integrated to maximize the lifecycle of the ERP software. All read-made or off-the-shelf ERP software provide these functionalities. However, a custom ERP software development approach is more efficient in terms of features and cost. The custom software development provides more flexibility, control and level of customization which is not possible with off-the-shelf solutions. The enterprise resource planning software (ERP) is a future-ready and return great ROIs in the long term.
key Functionalities of Enterprise Resource Planning Software (ERP)
For large businesses and enterprises the business functions become difficult and complex over the time. Each business grows, although on a different pace, but growth is imminent. That is why businesses use different tools and IT solutions to maintain a sustainable functional and operational efficiency. For each business function some businesses use different tools, however, an ERP software provides dedicated modules and application for each business function which is connected to a centralized and shared data base to achieve the maximum efficiency. Each business’s functions differs from the others, however, usually all businesses have certain functions which are necessary for their daily operations. An ERP software can provide all these features, such as:
- Human Resource
- Customer Relations
- Sales, Distribution& Marketing
- Production & Manufacturing
- Inventory and Facility Management
- Supply Chain
- Procurements
- Logistics and Transport
- Enterprise Performance Management
- Accounts and Finance
The functionalities of an ERP software are very important. For off-the-shelf solutions the biggest drawback is that the system is very rigid and is hard to customize. The customization is also expensive and time consuming. For customized ERP software the cost is comparatively low. The business have full freedom to choose only the required modules and application. The businesses can also customize the user interfaces and the processes as per their convenient which can make a huge difference in performance and efficiency. Moreover in case of a customized ERP software the businesses don’t have to worry about changing their methods and policies to accommodate the applications. In fact all application and modules of the ERP are tailor-made for the very exact requirements of the enterprise. The ERP software can be a game changer for any business and enterprise and it can provide a great competitive edge by reducing the cost and improving the ROI of assets, resources and investments in the business.
Conclusion
When businesses and enterprises plan to choose an enterprise resource planning Software (ERP) they must have to be careful and thoughtful, as the ERP software have potential and capabilities to make or break the growth of the business. The most important thing that every business and enterprise should consider is the key features of enterprise resource planning software (ERP). These features are necessary to leverage the true potential of an ERP software. The ERP software are also very effective for multinational and multi-regional operations and can provide easy and remote access to your employees. RSI Concepts is a leading ERP software development company in Dubai, UAE. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you need our assistance in developing your ERP software, please feel free to reach us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.
Check out this blog: Key Features of an Enterprise Application Software (EAS)