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Cloud ERP – is it worth the upgrade?

Wednesday March 23, 2022

It isn’t uncommon for small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to outgrow their siloed, off-the-shelf software after a few years. As inventory, accounting or payroll needs become more complex, centralizing information across the company and automating specific processes becomes increasingly necessary to plan and allocate resources appropriately.

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)

ERP refers to a type of software system that integrates, aligns and manages the main activities of a business on a common platform. It can encompass sales, CRM (customer relationship management), accounting, project management, human resources, procurement, supply chain operations and more.

An ERP system will retrieve and deploy information based on how it is customized. Pulling real-time data from different departments or business units results in richer and more reliable information, better reporting and more informed decision making. An ERP system can also:

  • remove barriers between departments and teams,
  • enable better collaboration and communication,
  • allow for the automation of core processes, and
  • save time by eliminating manual, non-value-add tasks.

Cloud ERP is an ERP system that is accessed through the cloud via a web browser versus being installed on a local server.

In addition to the benefits described above, implementing or updating to a Cloud ERP system can result in:

Cost savings
Cloud ERP has been proven to reduce costs in many ways. In addition to avoiding the upfront costs of buying or leasing hardware and data servers, a cloud system eliminates the upfront costs of software licenses—as most Cloud ERP solutions involve a monthly subscription fee. Cloud ERP also reduces IT support services since the ERP system vendor traditionally provides technology updates, hardware fixes, and maintenance as part of the subscription.

Note: depending on customizations, support may be required from an ERP system implementation partner to facilitate system updates and upgrades.

Enhanced Security
Cloud ERP is a safer and more secure place for your corporate data. Because data is distributed across multiple servers, regularly backed up by the ERP vendor and not stored locally, there is almost no need to worry about managing data backups or dealing with server crashes or hardware failures.

Easier Scalability
The ability to access business data and processes at any time and from any location can be particularly valuable to SMEs. Cloud ERP provides the flexibility to grow or expand a business quickly and smoothly by adjusting the cloud service as computing or storage needs evolve. The ability to access the system from anywhere also makes it easy to expand geographically or open additional facilities.

A Smart Solution for Complex Inventory

Dynamics 365 Business Central is a Cloud ERP platform created by Microsoft to help small and mid-sized enterprises manage their financials, supply chain and people. In our opinion, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the best ERP system for SMEs with complex inventory needs.

Complex inventory is something that Business Central does exceptionally well. If you want to barcode, no problem. If you want to lot track, no problem. If you want to serialize, no problem. If you want to manufacture something and accumulate the costs in buckets along the way, no problem. And, since it’s a Microsoft product, Business Central integrates seamlessly out of the box with all Office products and extensions (such as Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams) and other Microsoft productivity software such as Power BI and software partners such as Shopify.

S+C Partners is here to help

IT projects are basically business projects that require specific computer automation. In our experience, ERP implementations and customizations can often fail if the integration partner doesn’t have a solid understanding of their client’s business, and the financials driving that business. At S+C Partners, we speak the combined languages of IT, accounting and business consulting.

Our established Information Technology practice includes an experienced in-house team dedicated solely to ERP implementation, integration, development, support and upgrade services. We are a Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) and Dynamics 365 Business Central Value-Added Reseller (VAR) and Systems Integrator, and we specialize in providing Business Central solutions to clients with complex inventory needs.

If you have complex inventory needs and your business is feeling the pain of siloed or outdated systems and processes, please get in touch with our ERP experts at info@scpllp.com. We would be happy to answer your questions and discuss how we can help transform the way you manage your inventory and other core elements of your business.