Ways Your ERP Solution Makes You More Productive

Technology is supposed to help make employees more productive. Whenever a new enterprise software application is rolled out, there are always promises that it will make it easier for people to do their job or it will cut down on mistakes or even that it will reduce duplicity in the organization. But as most people have seen over their careers, there is quite a bit of software that doesn’t make good on these promises. Employees become so frustrated that their productivity levels actually go down.

ERP solutions do have the potential to help increase productivity in your workplace because that is exactly what they are built to do. Increased productivity is not simply a by-product, it is the goal of the implementation. By taking a closer look at how ERP applications help increase productivity, you can see why they are such an important tool for just about every type of organization.

ERP software improves communication

The most evident improvement comes from the fact that there is one centralized database that stores customer and order information. If a person in one office or department makes a change to a customer record or an order, everyone in the company will see that change in real time. Fewer mistakes are made as a result. However, the improvements go much further than that. Since people have accurate and up-to-date information at hand, they are able to communicate ideas and recommendations in a timely fashion as well.

Data improves decision making

Indecision is a productivity killer. While people are waiting around for decisions to be made, productivity levels fall. Running a report through your ERP application can provide you with all of the facts you need to make the right decision and get the rest of your team into action. Organizations that have to pour through spreadsheets, notes and other means of storing data are forced to bring things to a halt while information is processed and analyzed before a decision can be made.

Duplication is reduced, if not eliminated

With one centralized location for your data, duplicate records can be eliminated. If one department enters the pertinent information, the next department doesn’t have to keep a record elsewhere. The same data can be accessed, and analyzed, company wide. When duplicate entries are eliminated, so is duplicate work.

While ERP solutions have the ability to increase productivity, they cannot do this on their own. It is up to you to make sure that your organization maximizes the efficiency that your ERP application brings to the table by ensuring that the implementation is done right. Without putting the right processes into place, without proper training and without the right partner to guide you through the project your company may be missing out on all that this software has to offer. If you are looking to incorporate ERP technology into your company, or if you need to reevaluate your current solution, make sure you have the right people on your team to help you put together a plan that will increase the productivity of your workforce.