Tips to choose ERP for Startups and SMEs?
You may think that when there’s an effective business tool, then it can work for everyone. What’s the difference between ERP for startups and ERP for SME? What if the paperwork is piling up in your business, or there’s no proper communication between departments and it’s consuming a lot of time in transferring a piece of information? If you are facing such situations, then you surely need an ERP software system.
If you are planning to start a new business, then you must prevent such cases. Having a scalable ERP system would be the best choice for you. You can update it side-by-side as your business needs and company grows. This article will give you some tips about how you can choose an ERP system for small and medium business, and startups.
Before we know about the difference, you should know what ERP stands for and why you need it. Can you imagine running a business 10-15 years back? Back then, you had to organize time and cost-consuming processes. Also, you had to spend a lot of resources to start and maintain the processes. But now, with ERP implementation in finance, the results are cost efficiency and reduction in working hours. Following are some of the key features of ERP systems that are necessary for a medium-sized business:
- CRM
- Tracking and visibility
- Automation
- Accounting
- Reporting
- Integration
- Touch-screen POS
- Data analysis
A small business manufacturing company or a startup are not different from each other. They should have a basic set of software for accounting like spreadsheets to track the production process. As the business will grow, so does the amount of information collected will grow alongside. The software also has to be updated from time to time to cop-up with the expanding business.
You can enhance the productivity and streamline the workflow when you have ERP platform. It will work as a tool for resource management, tracing, tracking business and manufacturing processes from start-to-end. Here are the key modules that you will need:
- Sales & Purchase
- Reporting & Analysis
- Invoicing
- Inventory control
- Supply chain management
ERP for startups
Some people say that startups don’t need an ERP system. The workforce is small, and there are only a few founders that manage entire operations. There’s also a myth in the market that one person can handle entire operation in a startup company. The reason, they know little about the number of tasks that are needed to be managed, and for that, they need a reliable software solution.
Now the question is, “what type of software is more suitable?” The main motive of using an ERP system is to assist businesses in their daily operations. An ERP system would help you automate various tasks and can save a lot of time and resources. Important factors for a startup are as follows:
Scalability
You will find plenty of software solutions that will offer you a scalability feature. If you want your business to grow, then ERP software will help you with it. Make sure to avoid using free apps as they are not secure and scalable enough.
Productivity
The two things that every startup wants is maximum productivity and efficiency. Having access to the information grants authority to the business to handle their daily operations with ease. One of the ways to enhance productivity is by keeping track and improving the methods to interact with customers and employees. You can track this information from your mobile ERP system also.
Best ERP system for SME’s & Startups
LOGIC ERP software system is a good choice for small & medium-sized businesses. It has a scalable database and mobile app, which is easy to use and administer. It comes with cloud-technology also, which allows you to access it at any time you want. Following are some of the important features:
Real-time data access
The information related to your business gets processed and displayed in real-time. There’s no need for you to store every piece of information on papers. You can also keep track of your team performance and productivity in real-time.
Warehouse management system
You can use the built-in warehouse management system in real-time to manage the production amount and inventory. It minimizes the possibilities of internal theft and human errors in calculations, record keeping, etc.
Inventory management
Don’t you like to have full control over cash flow? You can see the materials bills, work orders, and raw materials level in the inventory. With a real-time alert system, you can manage your shelves and check which items sales are high and low. The software will help you to manage production workflow and prevent cost loss.
Quality management
The software comes with a quality management module to help the businesses maintain the government and regulatory standards. It also prevents any duplication or unnecessary data generation about inventory.
Custom ERP solution
It means that you can select the features or modules according to your business needs. You won’t get unnecessary functionalities or a bunch of apps that have no meaning to your business. With a custom solution, you can grow your business and software together. Also, you can decide for yourself how you want the report data to get displayed on the screen.
So, what’s the difference between ERP for SMEs and ERP for startups? The answer is, there’s no such difference. There are no identical SMEs as well as no identical startups. Every business has its list of tasks and goals to be achieved. Use them to select the most compatible software solution for your business.
Now, you must be thinking that how you can select a scalable custom ERP solution? Here, you should hire a reliable ERP software vendor having years of experience in building custom solutions for various verticals.