ERP System

Enterprise resource planning, more commonly referred to as ERP, is a type of software that businesses use to more effectively manage day-to-day activities from one central system. Integrating and streamlining the running of your business departments, ERP systems ensures any disconnected operations and data are drawn together into one place.

So, from end-to-end, an ERP system optimises the way you work. It cuts down on unnecessarily lengthy tasks and securely creates an ease of access for the information you need. Although the scope of an ERP system will vary from supplier to supplier, typical functions include stock control, order processing, eCommerce management, and accounting.

ERP is designed to reduce manual processes, eliminate inaccuracies, drive efficiencies and ensure better business decision making. ERP systems can be installed in the cloud, on-premise, or as a combination of the two. Although the scope of an ERP system will vary from supplier to supplier, typical functions include stock control, order processing, eCommerce management, and accounting.

Created in the 1960s, ERP systems were originally known as Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) software, which ran on huge mainframe computers and was only affordable to larger businesses. It helped companies balance factory production with inventory management, which enabled them to keep their stock levels low and reduce the amount of money tied up in their inventory.

The software soon expanded beyond manufacturing and stock control, beginning to integrate with other back-office functions such as finance, order management and distribution. It had moved on to become a more affordable and available solution, with businesses beyond the manufacturing industry beginning to make use of an integrated software system. By the mid-1990s, governments and non-profit organisations began to use the systems too.

Today, ERP systems have become more advanced, offering powerful real-time data whilst significantly reducing paper processes. Although a lot of modern ERP systems can be cloud-based, this can cause issues and disruption if there are no offline capabilities, such as in the case of a server outage. This why most businesses still prefer a desktop-first ERP solution, which can then be accessed remotely through cloud or app technology.

The ERP acronym was first used in the 1990s by tech research company The Gartner Group. This was as the system moved beyond manufacturing and more business functions suitable for wholesalers, distributors and retailers were beginning to be included. Since then, a growing number of companies have relied on ERP systems to streamline processes and improve their data visibility.

For the management world, ERP represents the evolution of software created to streamline business processes, with its popularity in recent years owed to the way it aims to integrate all essential business processes.

Choosing a software solution is a decision that often represents an important crossroads for businesses when looking to support their operations as they grow. Companies want to make sure they get a fast return on their investment and partner up with the right supplier. However, with a lot of software jargon out there, businesses can often struggle to see what exactly is being proposed and ultimately understand the benefits that are on offer.

For businesses just starting out, they can usually cope with managing information across multiple platforms and spreadsheets. However, as the company grows, this strategy can become costly, time-consuming and prone to problems.

This is when they begin to look for ways to keep up with increasing customer demand and avoid data mismanagement by investing in what is known as an ERP system.

Here at OrderWise, businesses can have the flexibility to choose. You can host your ERP software on-premise, in the cloud or use a combination of the two. The best way to discover which solution would work for your business is to talk to an expert, who can work with you to determine the best way forward for your specific operational requirements.

Regardless of the solution you decide, if you require access to your OrderWise solution on the go, OrderWise offers the ability to do so through secure remote desktop access.

Choosing a software solution – it is a decision that often represents an important crossroads for businesses when looking to support their operations as they grow. Companies want to make sure they get a fast return on their investment and partner up with the right supplier. However, with a lot of software jargon out there, businesses can often struggle to see what exactly is being proposed and ultimately understand the benefits that are on offer.

For businesses just starting out, they can usually cope with managing information across multiple platforms and spreadsheets. However, as the company grows this can become costly, time-consuming and prone to problems. This is when they begin to look for ways to keep up with increasing customer demand and avoid data mismanagement by investing in what is known as ERP software.

Created in the 60s, ERP software was originally known as Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) software, which was running on huge mainframe computers and only affordable to larger businesses. It helped companies to balance factory production with inventory management, which enabled them to keep their stock levels low and reduce the amount of money tied up in their inventory.

The software soon expanded beyond manufacturing and stock control, beginning to integrate with other back-office functions such as finance, order management and distribution. It had moved on to become a more affordable and available solution, with businesses beyond the manufacturing industry beginning to make use of an integrated software system. By the mid-1990s, governments and non-profit organisations began to use the systems too.

Today, ERP software has become more advanced, offering powerful real-time data whilst significantly reducing paper processes. Although a lot of modern ERP systems can be cloud-based, this can cause issues and disruption if there are no offline capabilities, such as in the case of a server outage. This why most businesses still prefer a desktop-first ERP solution, which can then be accessed remotely through cloud or app technology.

The ERP acronym was first used in the 1990s by tech research company The Gartner Group. This was as the system moved beyond manufacturing and more business functions suitable for wholesalers, distributors and retailers were beginning to be included.

When implemented with correct guidance, enterprise resource planning software allows you the clearest possible vision of your businesses. It can allow you a complete understanding of ongoing operations, current capacities, and any waning weak points in need of support.

This is made possible because enterprise resource planning software provides access to information in real-time. Not just some of the data. All the data, from every part of your business. Without these kinds of systems, management can only respond to drafted reports or customer feedback. With enterprise resource planning software, data can be gathered continuously. As processes move forward, information is collected without extra effort.

This kind of understanding enhances your entire business. From tracking performance in individual branches and offices to monitoring stock availability and sales statistics per platform. OrderWise offers you a tailored and modular ERP solution, suited to inform you of exactly what you need to know. With a software suite of this sort at your side, you can truly transform what your business can do.

With enterprise resource planning software in place, proactive operations become more than possible. Businesses are often at the mercy of external circumstances. COVID-19 is an extreme example, but too often businesses find themselves reacting against many perfectly permissible phenomenon.

Guessing what products will sell best in what season. Estimating the impact of new regulations and changing government guidelines. Approximating probable performance of particular offices or branches. With enterprise resource planning software, you can be much more proactive in your operations.

Enterprise resource planning software lets you select which offices to have the most support, and which can be given more leeway. With the full context of everyone’s performance, proactive decisions about managerial focus become possible. Instead of chasing people to accomplish tasks as they emerge, goals can be established ahead of time. Achievable goals of strategical value to broader business objectives. With enterprise resource planning software, you can determine which resources are slower and less valuable, and redirect effort accordingly.

OrderWise understands that proactivity isn’t identical across all businesses. That’s why we don’t provide offer a one-size-fits-all solution. We work closely with you to understand the kinds of decisions you want your business to be able to make. We craft a bespoke software solution, with the specific modules you want to take your business to the next level.

Enterprise resource planning software gives you confidence in your decisions as you move your business forward. With the full range of data from all the available processes, you can be sure that any plans or proactive choices will have effects of a kind you can calculate and predict.

Without enterprise resource planning software supporting you, your decisions need to be more conservative and cautious, because you will be less aware of the impacts felt following changes you’ve made in the past. With more data from wider sources arranged in a clear and understandable fashion, your business is empowered to make bolder and more concrete decisions going forward.

These decisions are even more empowered by having a scalable and secure system underpinning your business. ERP software gives you the confidence to know that if you experiance growth, it needn’t mean growing expense. The same systems that gave you the capacity to grow will still be there to ensure that growth can be channelled and processed effectively.

At OrderWise, we offer you tailored dashboards, custom BI alerts, bespoke KPI tracking techniques, and much more besides. All to ensure that you have the specific kind of enterprise resource planning software you need to make your decisions the best they can possibly be.

Operations and internal improvement are not the only areas that these kinds of systems can transform. Enterprise resource planning software enables you to transform external relationships, coordinating communication with suppliers, clients, and most crucially of all – customers.

A good CRM is a hugely valuable and potent resource. In isolation though, it can be an all-consuming time-sink. When such systems integrate into enterprise resource planning software, it enables the most relevant possible communications to your customers.

Any problems they might have can be expedited, with different departments better co-ordinated to solve issues faster and more completely. Because this solution is systemic, not ad hoc, weaknesses found in the form of customer problems can be tracked and tagged more easily. This makes solutions much easier to implement, bringing about more customer satisfaction, more positive recommendations, and ultimately more growth.

OrderWise doesn’t just provide integrated CRM systems as part of an enterprise resource planning package. We tailor the integrations, calibrate the responses, and adjust the kinds of engagement all to suit your business needs. Make sure you get the kinds of customer communications, credit control, and marketing mechanisms you need, with a tailored and bespoke enterprise resource planning software solution.