ERP Takes Small and Midsized Enterprises to the Next Level

Once considered the domain of large organizations that wanted to bring their business systems onto a single platform, enterprise resource planning (ERP) has become more affordable and relevant for companies of all sizes. Small and midsized organizations that once ran their businesses on homegrown software solutions, disparate systems and spreadsheets can fully leverage the power of ERP.

ERP: Your Company’s Central Nervous System

An ERP system helps unify people, core business processes and technology across an organization. An all-encompassing suite of solutions, ERP automates business processes and provides insights and internal controls, drawing on a single database that collects inputs from departments including accounting, manufacturing, supply chain management, sales, marketing and human resources (HR).

An ERP like NetSuite brings these and other departments onto a single platform and also integrates easily with outside applications like Salesforce and Shopify to create a central nervous system for small to midsized organizations.

“It also eliminates the problems that come with conflicting sources of data and empowers them to analyze various scenarios, discover process improvements and generate major efficiency gains,” NetSuite points out. “That translates to cost savings and better productivity as people spend less time digging for needed data.”

Putting the Power into Your Hands

NetSuite's ERP software for small businesses can be configured and priced to meet the needs of all businesses—from small retailers to midsized life sciences firms to large manufacturers, and all points in between. And because NetSuite is cloud-based, the barriers to entry, implementation times, initial costs and ongoing maintenance are all much lower than you’d get with an on-premises ERP.

“NetSuite is a comprehensive cloud-based business software suite that provides a wide range of features and functionality to help businesses run more efficiently in industries like general manufacturing, product distribution, oil and gas, insurance, and logistics,” Deadline News reports. “From accounting and financials to customer relationship management (CRM) and sales force automation (SFA), the cost of NetSuite covers the full spectrum of business needs.”

NetSuite’s tight integration across different modules means data can be shared easily between different parts of the system, thus reducing the need for manual input and ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date information. “This can be especially helpful for businesses with multiple locations or branch offices,” the publication adds.

The software also gives users a consistent snapshot of vital business information—something that smaller organizations working with departmental “information silos” generally lack. When an order progresses through the company, for example, order processing, production control and dispatch departments often have to re-enter the data and search for inventory, lead time and customer-specific data.

“With an ERP system, all relevant data is available to those departments, eliminating the need to re-enter data, reducing the risk of error, improving productivity and speeding up the time to fulfill orders,” Houston Chronicle points out. Some of the other “wins” that small to midsized businesses see when they implement ERP are:

·         Improved speed and quality of decision making.

·         Lower operating costs.

·         Reduced duplication, manual work and errors.

·         Real-time views of the complete operation.

·         Streamlined order processing and production planning.

·         A team that’s freed up the staff to focus on more important projects.

·         Improved collaboration because team members have access to real-time data and insights right at their fingertips.

·         For manufacturers, easy identification of any potential production bottlenecks or other issues that might affect delivery times or productivity levels.

·         Immediate, up-to-date picture of orders, work in progress and stock levels.

·         Better decision-making based on the clear insights that everyone has into every aspect of the company.

·         A staff that can focus on business growth instead of spending its time moving data from one spreadsheet to the next.

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Take Your Business to the Next Level

For growing enterprises, ERP also serves as an excellent business intelligence tool. “With the plethora of information available in a central database, you can create reports and dashboards that include everything from income and expense statements to custom key performance indicators (KPIs) that offer useful business insights,” SelectHub says. “ERP for small businesses helps make data-driven decisions to minimize risks and increase profits.”

While the idea of implementing an ERP may seem daunting for a smaller company that’s been running for years on disparate solutions and spreadsheets, a cloud-based solution like NetSuite supported by a partner like CEBA Solutions provides a fast and affordable route to all of the benefits listed above—and more.

“ERP systems offer a wide range of benefits that can help improve efficiency, productivity,

sales and revenue, and customer service,” Robotics & Automation News points out. “If you’re looking for a way to streamline your operations and take your business to the next level, an ERP system may be the right solution for you.”

NetSuite Cloud ERP not only automates business operations, but it also eliminates repetitive and tedious tasks that take up way too much of a small business’ time on a daily basis. With NetSuite in place, team members can focus on business areas in most need of improvement, explore new opportunities, and take the steps needed to get to the next level.

About CEBA Solutions

CEBA Solutions is a long-time Oracle NetSuite Solution Partner that can help your company select, implement and optimize its ERP system and other solutions. We’ll provide as much—or, as little—guidance as you require throughout the process, post go-live and throughout the life of your ERP.  

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