With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, and so many employees working remotely, it has never been more important to ensure that your business functions at maximum productivity levels.

Having the right integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in place, can ensure that no matter where your workforce is based, the needs and processes of specific departments, business units and divisions are fully understood.

“Having an integrated system, which is essentially a centralised data warehouse for all your business processes and functions, ensures that the business as a whole not only meets current needs but can also determine the future requirements of a business and assist in setting up the right systems,” says Lionel de Oliveira, sales manager of Seidor.

When it comes to remote working, an ERP system such as SAP Business One for example, enables live integration between Apps used by field service employees. De Oliveira explains that it’s important to choose the right ERP system that meets the needs of your business. SAP Business One, for example is designed to be scalable which means that you can pick and choose what you need and as your business grows your business management system can adapt and grow with your business.

De Olivera points out some key elements that need to be considered when choosing an ERP that best suits your business. “Start off by working out what functionalities you need and then consider the following four steps.”

• Ensure that the system you select has the capabilities to manage the type and size of your business.
• Understanding your main objectives and what the result of implementing a new system might look like.
• Consider the size of your business and how many users you have, and which level of user will need to have access to your system.
• Budget restrictions are often a reality, so you may need to prioritise your performance requirements so that you can roll them out in stages as your business grows. This is a benefit of a scalable system.

According to De Olivera, there are numerous advantages to having an integrated ERP system, such as SAP Business One in place which offers a wide variety of capabilities which include managing all your cost accounting needs, cash flow projections, work flows, stock automation and data security. 

“Having a centralised system across all departments, from finance to inventory management, offers massive efficiency benefit. The right ERP system should also be able to tell if your gross profit is completely accurate for each item and service, which is an essential part of any successful business. It should also quantify where you are losing gross profit by putting business rules in place,” adds De Olivera.

So, if you chose an ERP system, that is tailored to perform the functions that your specific business needs, then a comprehensive 360-degree view, with accurate, real-time information across all departments is within easy reach. Choosing the right ERP system will empower your employees to make strategic, data-driven decisions, and react proactively to day-to-day issues, even when working remotely. It seems then, that choosing the right ERP system with specified functionality is a natural next step for all businesses.