Whenever I’m asked by friends and family what I do for a living, I tend to pause and think about how I should answer. If I mention the phrases “ERP” or “enterprise systems” I notice a distinct glazed look in the eyes of those asking. This isn’t surprising, as ERP systems are large, technical, and complex tools. In response to this, I’ve created a little analogy to explain what I do, comparing ERP systems to an everyday piece of technology that most people are familiar with: The personal GPS device. The metaphor is helpful and quite apt.
Consider what a GPS does and how it is used. It provides instantaneous information about one’s exact location, where they are relative to where they need to go, and offers suggestions on how to best reach that destination. One simply has to input two basic pieces of information, such as an address, a postal code, or an intersection. Even without such information at hand, one is able to search locations using a wide range of criteria. Compare how a family would plan a long-distance road trip thirty years ago to how a modern family would plan such a trip. Instead of purchasing multiple road maps and spending hours meticulously scouring them for the best route, the trip can be calculated in seconds.
Reflect now what an ERP system like does and how it is used. It automates and speeds up tasks and processes and provides important decision-making information to those who need it. From an accounting standpoint, it can provide a snapshot of a company’s financial position in an instant. Compare how a business owner would go about asking for a substantial bank loan without an enterprise system versus how one with an ERP system would go about it. Accurate, up-to-date financial reports and statements can be generated in seconds instead of days, pulling information from all areas of the organization: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Manufacturing, Inventory, Human Resources. Planning. How a company is to go about reaching its strategic destination, and viewing its progress along this journey can be done with greater ease and accuracy.
Is your organization looking to gain more insight into its financials and key performance indicators? Is your current accounting system requiring you to spend hours exporting information to Excel before a useful report can be generated? It may be time for you to investigate whether an ERP system like Dynamics GP or is right for you.
When you consider the impact a GPS has had on your personal ability to get from your home to your destination, think what instant access to information from your ERP system can do for your business?
By: Tom Ross, Applications Specialist,
I completely agree with the point that automates and speeds up tasks and processes and provides important decision-making information to those who need it.There is site named mexia.com.au,where you can get some more information about enterprise planning.Mexia is also a leading provider of software integration solutions. Mexia implements reliable Microsoft-based integration solutions that enable business and government to deliver high-performance services to our customers.