Most businesses are familiar with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suites. When a business chooses to implement an ERP, they are trying to maximize their use of resources. According to Oracle, an ERP suite – if properly implemented – can monitor and manage everyday business processes in several different departments.
The theory behind resource planning for a business is involved, but it boils down to a straightforward premise – how can my business use what it has to generate the most value? In essence, a company wants to make Every Resource Perform its best.
Resource planning is a multi-faceted discipline. The core of an ERP focuses on increasing the efficiency of the business’s processes while reducing the necessary resources to create the same product. As a result, the merits of an ERP are efficiency and transparency in internal business resource consumption coupled with performance and a focus on maintaining the product’s quality.
ERPs connect to each different department and rely on input from those divisions to perform its function. The software collects data from each department, then compares the metrics in several reports that allow management to make critical decisions. The goal of these reports is to offer those higher up the hierarchy an overview of the company’s resources. Management can then determine how those resources are being consumed and how to make more efficient use of available raw materials.
The most important part of the ERP is the centralized database housing the company’s information under a single, overarching file. There’s no need to link dozens of spreadsheets or hundreds of smaller databases together. The close relationship between the tables within the database allows the ERP system to generate meaningful reports that can help to push management into action. The result is a system that can streamline processes and, with the right input, even offer real-time data into the company’s performance.
For every resource to perform its best, companies require an ERP that they can access at all times, ensuring the stability and safety of their data. In the past, this usually meant that companies needed to set up an on-premise server for their ERP. However, these on-premise servers could go down. After backup restoration, the database would still be missing some data, entered between the last backup and the crash of the primary database.
The cloud has corrected most of these problems and even offered businesses the option of working remotely. Cloudflare reports that “the cloud” is a term used to refer to servers that can be accessed across the internet. Those servers aren’t physical locations within the company, but can only be accessed with the business’s strict acknowledgment. A cloud-based ERP needs more than just being on a cloud server to quality as useful.
Cloud-based ERPs are essential advances in resource management. Arista Consulting recommends NetSuite to any business researching the benefits of implementing a cloud-based ERP. There are several reasons why NetSuite gets our nod as the premier ERP solution for growing businesses, including:
There are several options for ERPs on the market, but they’re not all the same. NetSuite keeps the core of an ERP’s mission – to offer efficient use of business resources. However, it provides businesses flexibility in implementation. While NetSuite offers several integrated systems, the business doesn’t need to implement each of them.
NetSuite’s modularity allows for a custom-built system that’s easy to use and spans every important resource point within your business. It helps your business ensure that every resource is performing at its best. If you’re interested in giving NetSuite a try for your ERP needs, contact Arista Consulting today, and we’ll guide you in how to make the most out of this robust, modular ERP solution.
