ERPs in SME digitalisation

When it comes to organising and/or planning the resources of your SME, a multitude of internal processes must be considered. An ERP or resource planning system can help you manage them all, improving your performance and therefore better meeting your customers' expectations.

Implementing an ERP system will help you improve your SME's business processes.

What is ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning?

An ERP is a business process management software or programme that controls and integrates many areas of a company into a single system. Key benefits include fostering cross-departmental collaboration, helping to make data-driven decisions and increasing productivity.

Let's take a look at some of the main areas where you could integrate an ERP.

• Finance. Nowadays, many ERPs offer real-time dashboards where you can have an overview of the financial situation of your SME at any time. It will also allow you to comply with current tax regulations and automate many of the daily tasks in this department.

• Human Resources. You will be able to optimise the different activities carried out by human resources, such as, for example, automating the payment of payrolls. You will also be able to better manage the performance of your employees and identify and anticipate possible problems that may arise.

• Production. Using real-time data, you can manage resources, design manufacturing schedules and optimise projects to meet your customers' needs.

• Supply chain. It will allow you to have a better control of the warehouse having an efficient management of the stocks through the automation of the different activities, saving time and money. It also includes aspects such as logistics, suppliers, sales, marketing and after-sales; having practically all your business on a single platform.

Which ERP to choose and how to implement it in your SME?

There are many ERP companies on the market, so you have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to selecting the one that best suits the needs of your SME. Here are the three most highly rated by users in the latest Software Reviews survey to give you an idea of some of the options available: Sage Intacct, Oracle ERP Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP.

Once you have selected the ERP that best suits your SME, you will need to implement it. However, you may find some obstacles when introducing it. The most common are employee resistance to change, inadequate support from the people who must drive the project internally, or unrealistic expectations.

Fortunately, creating an implementation plan will reduce the likelihood of obstacles to the introduction of ERP in your SME.

In order to create it, we recommend that you consider the following aspects: 

1. This plan must be perfectly organised and detailed, splitting it into phases and specifying in each of them the objectives to be achieved, the necessary budget and the timeframe in which it will be developed

2. The plan should be communicated to employees from the outset, involving them in all phases of the project. You should organise training sessions for employees and regular meetings to update them on new developments or changes. This will minimise the rumours and mistrust that transition often generates.

3. It is important to get the support of the leaders and people of reference in your SME, as they should be the promoters of the change. In addition, you must choose the right people to drive and manage the ERP implementation, as they will be the internal face of the change.

4. Establish checkpoints throughout the plan where you can see if any problems or setbacks have arisen so that you can address them quickly before they affect the successful implementation of ERP in your SME.

This implementation can be gradual, so you can make small investments in the departments where it is most needed. Identify your essential areas, choose the ERP that best suits your SME, and do not hesitate to implement it. It will become your best ally.