Businesses often reach a stage of comfortability with their current ERP system that lulls them into a sense of security. They have a system that just about does what they need, and the thought of upgrading seems more hassle than it is worth.
The problem is that by taking this approach they can be missing the latest features, security updates, and reporting tools. Yes, there will be some upheaval with the move, but this can be managed, allowing you to increase efficiencies and profitability in ways that was not possible before.
To help you understand if it is time to upgrade your ERP system, we have compiled 5 different signs that often appear with aging systems.
1. It is No Longer Supported
Arguably the biggest sign it is time to upgrade your ERP is it is no longer widely supported. This could be the developer moving on to newer models or finding support for maintenance harder to come by. These mean you have a system that won’t be getting regular updates and, if something goes wrong, will be hard to get fixed quickly.
If you find yourself in this position, then you need to weigh up the pros and cons of staying on your current system. Is saving money in the short term worth the risk of more difficult problems down the line?
We would always recommend making the proactive decision to start thinking about upgrading your ERP before you are put in a position that you are forced to.
2. No Mobile Functionality
Previously this was a nice to have feature for looking at reports or dashboards while on the go, but Covid-19 has now made it near mandatory. With more people working remotely than ever before, you need an ERP that can support this change in culture.
Not only does this make things like working from home possible, but there are also a variety of features that help make users life easier. We have seen positive changes in the charity industry with care workers able to create and access notes of patients that would previously have to be handwritten. This saves time for those traveling long distance who no longer must return to the office to make notes and improves end-user care as different carers can quickly see notes and add in anything of importance.
3. Lack of Legal Compliancy
Sometimes you will realise it is time to upgrade your ERP by forces outside of your control. Legal or regulatory changes can result in the need for different features to what you currently have available. It may be possible to add in the required functionality to your older ERP system but if you are in a position like point 1, then you won’t have many support options.
This is the type of thing you want to be ahead of where possible, and a modern system that receives regular updates is likely to support changes in the law. The cost of not complying can be astronomical so it makes sense to upgrade your ERP to not be caught out.
4. Missing Key Features
We already touched on the need for mobile functionality, but there are plenty of other key features that modern systems will come with. Not only could you be missing theses, but as many systems are now cloud-based there is constant competition, and development of new features is common.
The biggest area you are likely to see improvements in if you upgrade your ERP is the data analytics and reporting functionality. This has come a long way especially against old models. Not only can you use data from inside your company, but external data and trends can be used to supplement and make informed decisions that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
These types of insights are key for driving competitive advantage but if you don’t have them on old ERP systems you run the risk of being left behind by your competition.
5. Poor integration
Depending on the age of your current ERP, you may find it is a struggle to get it integrated with other business systems. In a modern system landscape this just won’t do, as you need information to be free flowing and accessible. Efficient businesses have systems that work together seamlessly to support the processes and goals of the business.
You also face an increase in manual ways of working if you cannot integrate systems. Not only is this slow for efficiency but requiring data to be entered multiple times can lead to errors and no clear idea of what system has the latest data.
Conclusion
Now that you have read about 5 signs it is time to upgrade your ERP system, you can start to look for these common issues in your own business. So, if you notice these points hitting close to home and want to get the ball rolling on upgrading, then get in touch with our team today. We are experts in guiding companies from old ERP systems to the latest and greatest offerings that suit their business needs.