What is Enterprise resource planning, ERP?

As any business grows, it can be hard to keep on top of all your responsibilities if you're still relying on filing cabinets and spreadsheets to manage the ins and outs of your operations. 
 
Read on to learn why enterprise resource planning is what your business needs, for the quickest and most efficient solution to help you increase collaboration in the workplace as well as improve costs and security. 
 

What is ERP and do I need it? 

Enterprise resource planning is software designed to help you manage your full day-to-day business activities and offers a consolidated process to gather and organise all of your data using integrated software. 
 
By helping you manage production, sales, accounting and more, ERP is the driving force behind pushing a successful business to the next level while continuing to run smoothly and efficiently. 

 
Improving efficiency 

Whilst some businesses will already have systems that help with financial management, sales, and the ins and outs of business operations, incumbent systems often do not work together and can ultimately slow things down, particularly when it comes to unexpected scenarios. 
 
Add modern ERP software to your business, to help you join all departments together into one central digital system, and improve efficiency, making sure your business runs smoothly with a continuous flow of data that is easily accessible by all. 
 

Enhanced collaboration

 Collaboration is a crucial aspect of any business to produce the best results. 
 
With all of your data being stored in a centralised software, this will enable cross-departmental collaboration which will inform your business decisions using the most up-to-date data. 
 
As performance data can be shared with, and made available to everyone in your team, you can be sure all employees and managers are on the same page during production planning. 

Reducing costs 

Gaining efficiency is one of the key benefits of implementing an ERP software into your business, but in the long term it will also help you to reduce overall costs. 
 
Why spend on maintaining several systems per department when you can have it all in one? The complex work that comes with running your business can be completed faster and with an understanding of other team’s requirements, via a fully integrated configuration designed to streamline your day-to-day activities. Achieved through a range of automations and by leveraging forecast modelling to see what’s around the corner and make provisions, or plan alternatives, to deal with anticipated delays. 
 
ERP solutions can also help to take on some of the laborious, or time-consuming, tasks that may take up extra time that could be spent elsewhere, for example automating CRM data cleansing or using system generated proposals to plan how much material to order, can also help you reduce the labour costs associated with these tasks. 

 
Improved security 

 An extremely important benefit of an ERP system is its ability to restrict access to sensitive data, ensuring that your users only see the data, information and processes that are relevant to their specific roles. 

 As managers within your business, you will be able to hide data that is only critical to your management team, with the choice to grant access if needed to other employees as necessary. This gives you full control over which information is shared. 
 

Provides deeper insights 

 Run your business using a collaborative network and shared workspace, enabled by ERP, you will be giving all of your departments the digital tools to contribute to the bigger picture and therefore open the door to new and deeper insights. 
 
Help your business to thrive, create new goals, needs, and growth ideas to benefit your business in the future and make it unique in its approaches. 
 
Ultimately, with a single ERP system, you will reduce multiple data entry points, save time and resources, as well as becoming more efficient and make more accurate decisions with forecasts that directly boost your growth. Explore the complete story behind WinMan ERP Software and understand the tools on offer here: 

 If you're still wondering 'what is ERP and do I need it?', contact us at WinMan today.