Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a system of integrated software applications that manages day-to-day business processes and operations across finance, human resources, procurement, distribution, supply chain, and other functions. ERP systems are critical applications for most organizations because they integrate all the processes necessary to run their business into a single system that also facilitates resource planning. ERP systems typically operate on an integrated software platform using common data definitions operating on a single database.
ERPs were originally designed for manufacturing companies but have since expanded to serve nearly every industry, each of which can have its own ERP peculiarities and offerings. For example, government ERP uses contract lifecycle management (CLM) rather than traditional purchasing and follows government accounting rules rather than GAAP.
ERP systems improve enterprise operations in a number of ways. Implementing an ERP system can:
By integrating financial information in a single system, ERP systems unify an organization’s financial reporting. They also integrate order management, making order taking, manufacturing, inventory, accounting, and distribution a much simpler, less error-prone process. Most ERPs also include customer relationship management (CRM) tools to track customer interactions, thereby providing deeper insights about customer behavior and needs. They can also standardize and automate manufacturing and supporting processes, and unify procurement across an organization’s business units. ERP systems can also provide a standardized HR platform for time reporting, expense tracking, training, and skills matching, and greatly enhance an organization’s ability to file the necessary compliance reporting across finance, HR, and the supply chain.
ERP systems integrate a range of business processes into a single, centralized database and software platform. They typically comprise a suite of modules targeted to a specific business function, such as finance, manufacturing, HR, or supply chain. Because ERP suites provide a centralized data repository, data entered into any module is automatically updated across all modules that require access to that data. Users access ERP modules through a unified interface, through which they can perform tasks and generate reports. Because they typically are modular in nature, organizations can select the elements that are relevant to their business. Many ERP systems can also be customized further to fine-tune them to an organization’s specific needs.
Because ERP systems are designed to address the unique needs of a wide range of businesses, the list of modules available for any given ERP system can be comprehensive. Common ERP modules include:
