Find Out if ERP Software is Right for You

A growing small to mid-size business (SMB) is bound to reach a point when it must answer a critical question: Is it time for ERP? These companies have kick-started their organizations using an array of disjointed systems and strategies—Excel spreadsheets, QuickBooks, separate enterprise solutions, post-its, long paper trails. This chaotic approach once met their basic needs and tight budgets, but issues have begun to crop up, provoking employees to wonder if it’s time for a change.

Fortunately, modern ERP software can be deployed quickly and easily in the cloud, making the solution feasible even for SMBs. We’ve compiled a list of gaps and errors in business processes that are all too common for manufacturers and distributors who haven’t implemented ERP.  Read on to see if your organization is experiencing any of these issues and needs to make the move to ERP software.

Limited Access to Data

You don’t know what your inventory levels are on a daily basis. Salespeople must make calls to people in production before answering a customer’s query about an order. Critical data is unavailable off site. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? This is what happens when manufacturers and distributors manage data and operations using separate systems and paper documentation. Rather than directly access data in a central hub, users have to wait on responses from their busy co-workers and third parties to move on to the next step of their activities.

ERP software provides visibility throughout your enterprise. Epicor, in particular, cohesively merges an array of crucial modules to drive transparency from the top floor to the shop floor. Epicor will track products and materials throughout every phase of the supply chain and detect even the smallest deviations in your factory floor’s efficiency. Sophisticated BI and data analytics tools will transform all this data into superior insights easily accessible through user-friendly dashboards. When deployed in the cloud, this information becomes available on any mobile device, powering productivity no matter where you do business. ERP enables users to finally have the immediate insight required to drive business growth.

Slow Processes

Without instant access to data, employees can’t make decisions and serve customers at the fast pace needed to stay competitive. Furthermore, workers delegate much of their time to manual data entry and various tasks that an ERP instance could automate. Accounting departments, for example, waste inordinate hours managing mountains of paperwork and spreadsheets.

Using an ERP instance, businesses can establish workflows that automate tedious tasks. To demonstrate some of this process automation, let’s focus on Epicor’s Financial Management module. Its user-friendly interface simplifies report creation and makes it easy to manage budgeting and financial planning. Epicor also automates repetitive processes such as monthly allocations and accrual entries. Users can easily manage multiple books and consolidate from different books or companies and avoid the rote work of manual data reconciliation or cross-posting information. Imagine enjoying these process improvements in each of your departments—that’s the power of implementing ERP software.

Poor Organization

Separate systems, lack of transparency, slow processes, paper trails—you can imagine how all this compiles to dismantle any effort at organization. Each person manages different data via different means, making it impossible to collaborate and gain a 360-degree view of processes. Employees are drowning in spreadsheets and post-it notes. Looking to expand your business? This can’t be done without a cohesive system. Managing multiple sites, a variety of currencies and complex regulations requires a high level of organization that only a robust ERP system can provide.

ERP software ensures everything runs smoothly. Each user can access real-time data from one source, rather than wait for their peers to shuffle through their paperwork. This means customers can receive answers to their questions in an instant, and warehouse managers can easily check their stock and plan for reorders. Epicor modules also support multi-company and multi-currency management to enforce compliance and maintain productivity throughout your global enterprise. ERP keeps functions and data in order, with flexible features that can handle processes of varying complexity.

Wrap Up

If some of these situations sound familiar, it’s time to make the switch to ERP. Nervous about software costs or project failure? Datix, an Epicor Gold Partner in business for over 20 years, has the solution for you. Our fixed fee Epicor ERP implementations for manufacturers and distributors make it easier than ever to transition to ERP. Premier consultants manage your project on a swift schedule and affordable price, ensuring quick ROI. Once installed, our experts continue to take care of your instance, providing all the updates, customizations and integrations you need to ensure your business keeps growing and thriving.

Don’t let your current disjointed processes thwart your business goals. Find out why Epicor ERP is the solution for you by contacting Datix today!

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