ERP is the future for complete hard goods distribution management
Managing your inventory supply chain efficiently is obviously an important aspect of your business. The right enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can assist your company with enhanced integration of data, allowing for more effective collaboration between teams, customer satisfaction and easy reporting features.
Here are five key features to look for when selecting an ERP solution for your company.
Tip 1 – Select a system focused on inventory management features
Tracking inventory and coordinating shipment and sales should be a real-time event – no matter how many separate warehouses or drop-ship distributors your company utilizes.
The ERP you select should include:
- Alerts on potential issues across the supply chain.
- Automated forecasting and inventory ordering.
- Logistics tracking and cost assessment.
- Analytics that fit within your business model.
- Multidevice, multilocation integration.
Tip 2 – Customizable to your business model
You have worked to create your spot in the market and want to obtain and maintain a competitive advantage. A main benefit of ERP solutions is the custom modules you can adapt to fit your business.
This can be a daunting task for your IT department to do on their own and experts suggest that you consider utilizing a implementation consulting company that can assist you in the selection of key features.
Tip 3 – Customer service, sales and marketing
ERP systems can help improve the customer experience, even with back-office management that is not seen. The cost savings of real-time inventory management, streamlined invoicing and logistics management all benefit your customer.
In addition, an effective ERP can alert the appropriate team members to potential issues before they transpire, allowing for preemptive solutions.
Tip 4 – Collaboration
All of your teams are necessary for your organization to run. ERP solutions can simplify collaboration and make it more effective. Key features to look for should include the ability to manipulate easily, move and manage data. This should consist of synchronization with calendars, export report functions, and easily created graphs and reports.
The right software also offers sales force automation, so the team in the field is connected to the office, warehouse and supply chain. Marketing campaigns can also be integrated so you can tell quickly how effective a campaign is working.
Tip 5 – Change management integration
Managing change within your organization is one of the most important things to consider when making a complete overhaul of your current system and advancing to an ERP. The purchase of an off-the-shelf system and implementation by your internal teams can lead to unnecessary friction.
Employing the right specialists in developing a roadmap to achieve your business goals can squelch uneasiness by working with all departments to identify needs and get input to help implement the new system at all levels.
Get the process started
Panni Management specializes in helping businesses like yours get the expert assistance in all these areas. Sage Enterprise Management ERP software is a powerful tool. Take a tour of the software and contact us today to schedule a demo.
