As we often mention, an ERP system is integral to the success of your modern enterprise business. ERP software and technology suites ensure the daily functions of your operations run smoothly and efficiently, attempting to reduce costs through improved processes. Some say an ERP is the heart of your organization; all processes need it to survive and operate, and it needs to be “healthy” to keep the business running. So why are we seeing a decrease in the number of ERP upgrades?
ERP UPGRADES: WHY DON’T YOU NEED THEM?
Recent surveys from 3rd party ERP providers have shown that many customers are running slightly-to-greatly outdated versions of their ERP software. If ERP is so important to a business, why would this be so?
Part of the blame lies in the cost of upgrades; some ERP providers offer little to no improvements in their upgrades, touting basic bug fixes and surface level UI changes as the biggest factors in upgrading. Another reason for the low ERP upgrade numbers is the cost involved to get new features when they could just utilize 3rd party applications and software to fill in the gaps.
What this ultimately comes down to is the direction different ERP providers are taking. Some seem content in tweaking their existing products to be slightly more efficient at what they already do, while others are innovating their entire product to offer newer and more versatile features to keep up with the recent demand for interconnectivity and big-data analytics.
ERP UPGRADES: WHEN DO YOU NEED THEM?
The future is built by visionaries. Rehashing the same old tactics is not going to impress any new or existing customers. Creating new and effective tools to augment and improve your current features is what ERP clients really want to see. As ERP software has conquered the front end processes and activities, it is up to ERP providers to start revolutionizing the back end processes.
Mobile functionality, predictive analytics reporting, even social integration; these are the new frontier of ERP software offerings, so if an ERP system upgrade does not include this functionality then many enterprise organizations just do not see the point. When deciding on whether your company should upgrade your ERP or not, consider the functionality you already have, the services you want to see, and – most importantly – whether they are worth the investment for your specific situation.