Top 6 ERP Trends To Monitor In 2014

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions continue to move to the cloud. In 2014, it’s clear that cloud ERP is the direction in which distributors and manufacturers are heading to manage their businesses more successfully. An article on Enterprise Apps Today outlines six important ERP trends to monitor this year.

1. Mobile ERP: Legacy on-premises ERP systems don’t offer the flexibility to easily log in from any location. With cloud ERP, sales reps, executives and inventory managers are all able to log in to a company’s ERP system from any device with an Internet connection.

   “Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite, concurs,” the article notes. “He believes that [this year] businesses will quickly embrace mobile ERP, not just for reports and dashboards, but for conducting key business processes.”

2. The impact of consumerization: By introducing more fluid and interconnected processes, the consumerization of cloud ERP is helping employees to work more efficiently and cohesively.

   “With one cohesive view of multiple customer touch points, companies will be able to achieve higher customer satisfaction and make more informed business decisions, which will lead to profitable growth,” says Jeremy Roche, president and CEO of FinancialForce.com, in the Enterprise Apps Today article.

3. Two-tier ERP: As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, this occurs when companies have invested heavily in inflexible on-premises ERP systems but wish to capture the benefits of cloud and mobile technologies. In this case, companies implement parts of a cloud ERP system for use in mobile access or as an e-commerce platform, expanding their business operations in areas their legacy systems are unable to handle.
4. Cloud ERP gains popularity: Once only hesitantly accepted by a few companies to entirely manage their businesses, cloud ERP is now becoming the leader in innovation and security for business operations. By moving to a cloud ERP system, businesses are finding that their processes and data are able to be unified in one database easily accessed by their employees from any location.
5. Social ERP: Many providers have tried to capture the benefits of social media by offering social media packs to their offerings. However, there is some doubt as to the effectiveness and benefit of connecting social media with ERP.

   “2014 will determine whether social can be a true ERP accessory, providing tangible value to front-line employees and management alike,” Nelson notes.

6. Budget worries: Especially in the manufacturing field, customization of an ERP system sometimes results in escalating implementation costs. This is due to the high complexity of manufacturing processes. When selecting a cloud ERP system, especially if you’re a manufacturer, it’s critical to choose a solution that’s easily customizable to fit your organization’s needs.

Look for these growing trends in 2014, and check back here for more updates on how cloud ERP is able to improve the efficiency, security and overall success of your business.

Source: Enterprise Apps Today, December 2013