ERP is a business software system that allows you to input, interpret and manage data from a central database. It operates in real time, and allows instant snapshots of manufacturing and production condition, linking accounts with purchase invoices and receipts and making business operations efficient and effective.
Traditional ERP deployments required significant amounts of hardware, such as desktop computers and servers, not to mention software upgrades that had to be implemented by an IT branch. All that involved high cost, lengthy deployments, and complexity. This is where cloud technology has started to make significant inroads into the provision of ERP.
Cloud ERP does not need large hardware infrastructure with all the capital costs allied with that. Today businesses can buy an ERP system provided by a company that supplies software as a service (SaaS). The company professionals can access the software via the cloud from somewhere and, for the most part, with any device.
There are inherent advantages to cloud computing; it is fast, flexible and agile helping businesses reduce complexity without affecting prepared efficiency. Some companies such as global manufacturers and suppliers today are able to implement a Cloud ERP solution to reach out to supplementary than 20,000 people within less than 18 months, which typically would have taken at least 5 years with traditional ERP implementation. The speed of implementation means tremendous value in terms of savings and time to market, which Cloud brings to businesses around the world.
Mobility is a big factor today for ERP solutions. Some ERP systems extend to tablets and smart-phones, with apps available that present data in the appropriate format for handsets. The coming out of mobile devices coupled with powerful services at reasonable prices is unprecedented. The development of apps means it is today possible for even a tiny business to get practically entire ERP functionality, including Accounts, Bookkeeping, CRM, Contracts, Expenses, Invoices, POS, Projects, Rentals and more, and run their operations on a smart-phone or tablet.
If you are one of the businesses considering ERP for the first time, you have the petite reason not to consider a cloud solution as a potential option as it can offer the tremendous advantage.