Overlooked ERP Advantages

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software consists of a wide array of tools that manage back-end business processes, such as accounting, production and inventory management. Any ERP vendor or value-added reseller will tout the software’s power to standardize operations, encourage innovation and improve efficiency. However, a few major benefits are often left out of the conversation. We’re focusing on three of the biggest but frequently overlooked advantages of implementing ERP.  

Customer Experience

ERP is just for back-office improvements, right? Think again. When engineering, production, supply chain management and other back–end processes are in line with consumer demands, you’ll find a huge upswing in sales and customer loyalty. ERP software offers a 360-degree view of your supply chain, so you can track materials from procurement to delivery. Real-time tracking and automated workflows ensure customers receive the right products at the right time. ERP will also make sure customers quickly receive vital services such as returns and repairs.  

By integrating your ERP and CRM systems, you can improve customer experiences even more. Sales reps can instantly access inventory data, prices and order history to personalize customer journeys and deliver accurate information in a timely manner. Additionally, production lines can utilize CRM data to calculate customer demand. Don’t lose sight of the exciting benefits that ERP brings to your customers.  

Saved Costs

It sounds counterintuitive, but investing in new software can be one of the most cost-effective decisions you make. Sure, there’s a considerable upfront cost, but when utilized correctly, ERP offers tremendous savings that give you a large return on your investment. ERP adds efficiency to all your enterprise operations, reducing admin costs and overtime hours. Rather than dig through paperwork and manually enter data throughout multiple systems and spreadsheets, information on personnel and processes throughout your business are stored in one place. This reduces expensive errors and saves time, so you and your employees can focus more on value-added activities.  

ERP also enables users to keep tabs on equipment and materials. Dashboards and trackers can alert you of lapses in machine performance before costly downtime and breakdowns occur. Instead of switching back and forth between systems to view materials and resources, ERP offers a unified view of production operations to improve material planning. This helps you avoid overstocking or understocking resources. Epicor ERP offers an extra boost to your manufacturing floor by providing a sophisticated suite of Kanban controls. Epicor’s Kanban tools enable pull production and real-time stocking to maintain lean manufacturing processes and reduce waste, inventory and expenses. 

Understanding of Business Processes

If you’ve done any amount of research on ERP, you’ve heard about the myriad ways it improves business processes. But you might not have come across how the implementation strategy helps businesses gain a more complete understanding of their operations. Any well-executed implementation will entail thorough business process modeling (BPM). In the BPM stage, project teams must analyze current processes to identify inefficiencies and build a strategy to streamline tasks using the new software. The result of BPM: a complete view of business tasks, which helps everyone understand their roles and methods of combating operational shortcomings.  

Additionally, implementations require user training. However, training doesn’t just provide information about the new ERP instance. It can also help users further understand their job duties. By finding out what dashboards and functions they will need to perform tasks, they can discover how to optimize their activities and learn how their responsibilities contribute to overall company goals.  

Once the system is launched, trackers and key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used to measure the success of user adoption and efficiency. Improving and understanding business processes should be an ongoing commitment—the sophisticated tools in your ERP system provide the visibility and analytics necessary to power continuous business improvement. 

Wrap Up

The impact of a robust ERP solution on your business success is probably greater than you suspect. The power of its comprehensive tools and advanced functionality reverberate across your enterprise to strengthen your bottom line.  

However, you can’t unlock these advantages on your own. You need an ERP expert who will do what it takes to align your software with your business needs. Datix is an Epicor Platinum Partner that specializes in tailoring enterprise software solutions to each manufacturing and distribution client. Our expertise goes beyond ERP—we are also certified CRM partners and leading software integrators. Unity, our landmark integration application, connects Epicor ERP with a variety of systems to create one streamlined platform. With your front and back-office systems combined, you can reap more value from your software investments and capitalize on more business opportunities.  

Transform your business with software—get in touch with Datix’s premier consultants today!  

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