Cloud ERP for Small to Midsize Businesses

A traditional perception of ERP software is that it can be far too expensive or bulky for small to midsize businesses to commit to. While that may have been true for the ERP software of old, you no longer need extensive server space and piles of hardware to implement enterprise software. Enter cloud-hosted ERP, sold and managed by vendors who take on much of the burden of hosting, management, security and upgrades. 

Cloud-hosted ERP can provide the power and functionality of an ERP suite at a much lower cost and on a much more flexible schedule for small companies. Because it’s much easier (and quicker) to implement than traditional on-premise software, it can provide your SMB with the kind of competitive advantage growing businesses are always looking for. Here are some of the most significant factors that small businesses should consider if they’re still on the fence about implementing cloud-hosted ERP.

Cloud ERP Advantages

• Easier, Faster Installation: Because cloud-hosted ERP software is located online and on your provider’s servers, you don’t have to go through the rigor of finding, buying and installing hardware before you even begin actual software implementation. You’ll simply need to sign the licensing contract, go through training on the online platform, and your company will be up and ready to go on a much speedier schedule.

• Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): No hardware investment saves you both time and money. Your vendor will be responsible for the costs of hosting your company data, and because they host on a much larger scale for multiple businesses, they will be able to operate much more cost efficiently. Those savings get passed on to you, the cloud customer. If you do move to cloud-hosted ERP, you’re only committing to that monthly or yearly subscription fee.

• Flexible For Your Needs: Small companies have very particular needs and business processes—and they are liable to change fast. On-premise software can often be too rigid to adjust quickly to SMB needs. Usually, your employees will need to wear many hats and be able to get up to speed fast on new tasks and roles, and it can take time (and a dedicated IT team) to adjust software and dashboards as new processes or production lines arise. Deployed in the cloud, your ERP platform will be much more flexible. Instead of committing all their valuable time to software management, your IT team can focus on innovations to give your business a competitive edge.

• Built For Growth: SMBs don’t just need to be dynamic and adaptive to their market; they must also be able to grow sustainably. On-site ERP software can hinder a growing business. If you have invested a certain amount into server space and hardware to host your enterprise system, it’s often not that easy to just increase that server size as your business grows. However, a cloud-hosted ERP subscription is usually licensed on a per-seat basis. Do you have some new employees coming in? Just increase your seats for the next month. Adding new locations? You can get them on your ERP system without investing in hardware. Cloud-hosted ERP will make your SMB that much more agile and able to adjust to the often volatile climate growing companies must survive in.

Wrap Up 

As a small or midsize growing business, your needs will be unique—and that includes your needs for enterprise software. To stake a claim in crowded markets, a small business must have the right tools to be competitive. A cloud-hosted ERP instance can equip your organization with just those tools.

If cloud-based ERP sounds like the right solution for your SMB, get in touch with Datix today. Our consultants have over 20 years of experience helping businesses of all sizes implement ERP on site and in the cloud. An Epicor Gold Partner, we have the expertise to help you from start to finish. We provide Epicor fixed fee implementations for small to midsize manufacturers and distributors in need of a fast, easy deployment of cloud ERP. Additionally, our consultants offer cloud hosting and management in the premier public cloud platform, Microsoft Azure.

Reach out to our ERP experts today to find out if cloud ERP is the best fit for your business! 

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