Business Benefits of Implementing an ERP 

Running a business is not a simple task. With all of the business processes in constant operation, it can feel overwhelming to keep track of them all. As a business grows, this becomes even more difficult, and many business owners are moving to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions to help manage their business processes and departments with greater efficiency. When considering implementing an ERP solution such as SAP Business One, it is important to know how the software can benefit business operations. Here are five business benefits of implementing an ERP. 

Streamline Business Processes

With an ERP system implemented, it takes manual labor and repetitiveness to reach a final goal out of the picture. An ERP system uses automation to handle manual tasks and requires fewer steps and processes to reach an outcome. Being able to automate certain documents such as sales orders and purchase orders can be extremely helpful and time-efficient. Overall, an ERP solution helps complete business processes which ultimately leads to faster communication with customers regarding orders and shipments (2).

Cross-Departmental Real-Time Updates and Communication

One of the greatest features of an ERP solution is the way it connects every department of a business. Preventing silos and allowing for connectedness and automatic updates from different departments helps improve collaboration and complete work accurately and efficiently. Employees from departments have access to relevant data to help them with a project at the click of a button. Real-time updates across the company are an amazing feature because employees never have to wonder if the Invoice was sent to a customer, they can simply check and see if the document was submitted (1).

Increased Business Visibility

The ability to have greater access, insight, and overall visibility into a business is a priceless feature, and an ERP solution provides that opportunity. Having a business’ data located all in one place with accessibility between departments helps paint a much clearer image of business achievements and where the company is thriving and the ability to spot where there is room for improvement. Many ERP solutions such as SAP Business One provide users with customizable reports that can be generated for specific departments such as Financials, Sales, Purchasing, etc. Having access to reports that layout and display crucial data helps when it is time to make crucial business decisions (1). 

Improved Efficiency

The true efficiency of ERP solutions lies in the automation of business processes that had previously needed to be completed manually. Knowing that the automation and the tools included in the software are capable of efficiently running the business processes with accuracy and efficiency is mainly the most important and popular benefit of ERP solutions according to users. Time is money and more efficiency and streamlined communication and project completion help run a business with less stress on the employees. Also, when there is the feeling of being secure with the business processes being taken care of, more time can be allocated to other business activities outside of the ERP solution (3).

Competitive Advantage

After reading over the past four benefits an ERP solution provides, competitive advantage is a result of these previous topics. When a business is running efficiently, swiftly, and accurately, there will be more room for that business to grow and thrive in its new ERP environment. There will be fewer restrictions on wanting to expand the business ventures because the system will be able to handle larger amounts of transactions than an Excel sheet. With increased productivity and smooth-running business operations, a competitive advantage is sure to follow (1). 

 

Overall, these are just five of the countless benefits a business can gain from implementing an ERP solution. The peace of mind and knowledge that the software is taking care of the business processes automatically and more importantly accurately, is how an ERP takes some of the stress of running a business away. SAP Business One is an ERP solution specifically designed for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses. It contains 16 fully-integrated modules including Sales, Financials, Banking, Purchasing, Production, MRP, etc. that will help run the business better and with less stress. Softengine is here to help with the implementation process every step of the way and inquiries about SAP Business One can be sent to: info@softengine.com. You can also find SAP Business One information on our website with in-depth insight into the main functions of the software.  

Check out our other blogs at the Softengine Blog Spot

1. https://www.selecthub.com/enterprise-resource-planning/erp-advantages-and-disadvantages/ 
2. https://www.panorama-consulting.com/how-do-erp-systems-streamline-business-processes/ 
3. https://www.business.com/articles/what-is-erp-software-and-how-can-it-increase-efficiency/